According to Mercury News, an Electronic Dance Music (EDM) DJ, Bassnectar, has been accused of sex trafficking minors and child pornography.
Lorin Ashton, also known as Bassnectar, allegedly used his influence and power to groom and sexually victimize numerous underaged girls. Ashton has been affiliated with the following corporations throughout his career while allegedly grooming young girls: Amorphous Music, Inc., Bassnectar Touring, Inc., Redlight Management, Inc., C3 Presents, L.L.C, and Interactive Giving Fund.
The lawsuit was filed by two women who claim Bassnectar engaged with them sexually and solicited explicit pictures when they were minors. The involvement with these women allegedly began in 2012. Bassnectar was aware the girls were underaged but still sent them tickets to his concert and invited them to his hotel room for sexual engagement that he allegedly mandated be without a condom, reported Mercury News.
Bassnectar allegedly paid these girls for sexual encounters ranging between $300-$1600 and demanded they keep the relationship a secret. Numerous additional victims came forward against Ashton following the initial allegations.
Attorney contributor Guy D'Andrea, an experienced sexual assault attorney, has represented numerous victims of sexual abuse. In an interview, we asked Brian to provide commentary on the legal options of victims sexually abused by a DJ or music artist.
"The music industry is an extremely lucrative business which gains traction and support from all age groups. Unfortunately, influential figures and entities have been accused of abuse numerous times, including adults and minors. Music companies have a legal obligation to do their best to provide a safe environment for all fans and supporters of artists. Sadly, these music artists seek out youth to abuse their positions of power and trust. To provide a safe environment, music companies should implement safeguards to ensure the protection of fans. Examples of safeguards include security guards or reporting systems, but there are more."
"When sexual abuse by an artist occurs, victims and their families should explore securing the services of an experienced sexual assault attorney to explore their legal options. If a music company fails to provide adequate safeguards for the fans and supporters of a music artist, the company may be considered liable in a civil lawsuit due to negligence. An example of negligence is if sex abuse complaints were made against the artist but ignored or the company is aware of sex abuse but does not intervene. Often, sexual abuse only occurs due to the negligence of a third party, such as a music company. In negligence cases, victims and their families may have grounds for a civil lawsuit against the companies."
Brian and his firm currently represent one of the victims who allege sexual abuse against Lorin Ashton, Amorphous Music, Inc., Bassnectar Touring, Inc., Redlight Management, Inc., C3 Presents, L.L.C, and Interactive Giving Fund. Brian and his firm ask any additional witnesses to step forward. If you or your child was abused or have any helpful information for the investigation, contact Brian and his law firm.