dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

Inside DJ Bassnectar’s Disturbing Sex Trafficking, Child Porn, and Sex Abuse Allegations

On Monday, a bombshell lawsuit brought by two women against the popular EDM artist Bassnectar alleges that he sexually abused them when they were underage, solicited nude photos of them as minors, and sex-trafficked them.

The allegations are brought by Rachel Ramsbottom and Alexis Bowling, who claim the producer-DJ, real name Lorin Ashton, was well aware that they were under the age of 18 when they began messaging over Twitter in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Their complaint, filed in Tennessee, paints a disturbing picture of the musician who allegedly “groomed and ultimately exploited” the young fans, acting as a mentor or father-like figure to them, dictating what they could do, having them send naked photos of themselves, and handing them wads of cash—up to $1,600—after the alleged encounters.

“It was abundantly clear that Bassnectar was targeting and engaging in commercial sex acts with minors and utilizing his shows and organizations to accomplish the exploitation of young girls for his own sexual gratification,” the suit filed by Philadelphia-based law firm Laffey, Bucci & Kent states.

The lawsuit came as a shock to many, but the claims of manipulation and grooming of minors were not news to some. In fact, similar allegations had reached a fever pitch last June, with women coming forward with various accounts about their experiences.

On Thursday afternoon, a damning report came from Vice, which over the course of a months-long investigation spoke to Ramsbottom, Bowling, and seven other women who described Ashton’s disturbing pattern of seeking out fans who were in their teens or early twenties and having secretive relationships with them.

Attorney Alexandria MacMaster, one of the lawyers representing Ramsbottom and Bowling, told The Daily Beast she believes there are several other victims out there, and that their office has received multiple calls from potential new victims, although she declined comment as to whether the firm had taken on any new clients.

In her opinion, “[W]e’re most likely not looking at just two women here, we’re looking at probably quite a few more than that who have become victims,” she says.

It almost seems Ashton knew what was coming. In July, he announced he was stepping away from music for an unspecified amount of time. “The rumors you are hearing are untrue, but I realize some of my past actions have caused pain, and I am deeply sorry,” Ashton wrote on Twitter. “I am stepping back from my career and I am stepping down from my position of power and privilege in this community because I want to take responsibility and accountability.”

His team later tried to distance Ashton from his original statement, saying “fatigue from 20 years of touring and making music as well as a desire to explore other creative avenues were the main instigators” of his decision. They alluded to the allegations, calling them “coordinated attacks.”

Ashton has categorically denied the recent accusations against him as well, with his lawyer telling Rolling Stone, “These outrageous claims—which were clearly designed for the media, rather than for the courts—are completely without merit, and we eagerly look forward to proving so.”

Ashton’s legal representation did not return The Daily Beast’s request for comment.

While the lawsuit against Ashton has now placed him under a different kind of spotlight, nine months ago the news of his hiatus went largely unnoticed in the press, as well as the misconduct claims that were swirling around online.

The movement against Ashton last summer was largely credited to Instagram account evidenceagainstbassnectar that began compiling the women’s stories, several of whom came forward to Vice.

Behind the account is Dave Montana Billings, who admits many people are surprised to learn that a man ran the page. “A lot of people have also voiced that it’s disappointing that no other men would stand up, because there’s definitely men that were aware that this was going on,” he told The Daily Beast. “This just kind of organically happened, and I just happen to be a man.”

Billings first started a Facebook page called Weird Drunken Uncle where fans could vent about the main fan page of the Bassnectar community. “There was always a divide in the community. There was the hardcore fans that tried to control what they refer to as the ethos or the vibe of the community,” he explained. “If you weren’t extremely positive, or if you had any kind of critique, they would ostracize you from the community. So that created another half of fans that needed a place to have a voice… that became a place for those people to come and talk and to have a voice without being bullied by other fans or even Lorin himself, which has happened frequently.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/inside-dj-bassnectar-disturbing-sex-085202095.html

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/april9th.html

Important Events From This day in History April 9th

1974 - U.S.A. Nuclear Power Debate

2003 - Iraq Statue of Saddam Hussein

1865 - U.S.A. Robert E. Lee surrenders

1924 - U.S.A. Hoof and Mouth

1927 - U.S.A. Mae West Arrested

1940 - Germany invades Norway and Denmark

1942 - Philippines Surrender To Japanese

1947 - U.S.A. Tornado Woodward, Oklahoma

1959 - America's First Astronauts

1969 - UK Race Relations

1984 - UK Miners Strike

1986 - France Renault

1992 - U.S.A. Manuel Noriega

1999 - Ibrahim Bare Mainassara

2001 - American Airlines Gets Bankrupt TWA

2008 - Olympic Torch Relay Protests

2010 - Iran reveals its ‘third generation’ centrifuges

2012 - Somalia Bombing in Market Kills Twelve

2014 - School Stabbing in Pennsylvania