Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter sued for alleged rape and sexual battery of autistic 17-year-old fan

Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter sued for alleged rape and sexual battery of autistic 17-year-old fanBackstreet Boys’ Nick Carter sued for alleged rape and sexual battery of autistic 17-year-old fan
Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter sued for alleged rape and sexual battery of autistic 17-year-old fan | Getty
Shannon Ruth seeks more than $30,000 in damages after accusing Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter of sexual assault and battery.

The Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter, 42, is being sued for sexual battery of a disabled teenager in an alleged incident when Carter was 21. Shannon Ruth claims she begged him to stop and contracted HPV as a result of the encounter.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

According to the lawsuit, Ms Ruth was 17-years-old when Carter invited her on the American boy band’s tour bus shortly after a concert in Tacoma, Washington. During the encounter - which is reported to have taken place in 2001 - Carter offered Ms Ruth “VIP juice” , a drink she believed had alcohol in it.

The court documents state Mr Carter first took Ruth to the bathroom and asked her to perform oral sex on him. Afterwards, he took her to a bed and sexually assaulted the teen - who has autism and cerebral palsy.

Ms Ruth claims she repeatedly begged the singer to stop and was left with bruises from the encounter. Ruth - who was a virgin at the time - alleges that Carter told her nobody would believe her if she spoke publicly about the incident.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In a press conference Ms Ruth said: “Even though I’m autistic and live with cerebral palsy, I believe that nothing has affected me more or had a more lasting impact on my life than what Nick Carter did and said to me”

Mr Carter’s lawyer has rejected the allegations against the 42-year-old singer, stating the claims are “entirely untrue”. He said: “This claim about an incident that supposedly took place more than 20 years ago is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue.

“Unfortunately for several years now, Ms Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick, and those allegations have changed repeatedly and materially over time. There is nothing to claim whatsoever which we have no doubt the courts will quickly realise.”

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.