Nick Carter has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor during a 2001 Backstreet Boys concert.
A 39-year-old woman has filed a sexual battery lawsuit accusing Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter of raping her and infecting her with HPV when she was 17.
The suit, which was filed on Thursday in Clark County, Nevada, claims the assault against accuser Shannon “Shay” Ruth happened in February 2001 after a Backstreet Boys concert in Tacoma, Wash. Attorneys for Ruth held a press conference at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton hotel, where the plaintiff was also present, and detailed the alleged assault. The entirety of the press conference was live-streamed on Facebook.
Ruth, who identified herself as autistic and living with cerebral palsy, alleges that Carter — who was 21 in 2001 — invited her back to his tour bus after meeting her among a group of fans who were asking for autographs after the show. Ruth claims Carter handed her “a funny-tasting beverage that he called VIP juice,” a mixture of alcohol and cranberry juice, and led her to the bathroom in the tour bus where he exposed himself to her and instructed her to “get on her knees,” according to a complaint obtained by Variety. She alleges he instructed her on how to proceed, as she was a virgin at the time, and was visibly distraught throughout the assault.
