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Dec 9, 2022
Singer and member of the Backstreet Boys, Nick Carter, has been accused of raping a women and infecting her with HPV (human papillomavirus) during the band’s 2001 tour, according to a new civil lawsuit. The alleged sexual assault occurred on a tour bus after a show in Tacoma, Washington, when Carter was 21 and the victim was 17.
39-year-old Shannon “Shay” Ruth identified herself as a rape survivor during a Thursday press conference, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
According to the complaint, after Ruth attended the Backstreet Boys concert, she lined up for an autograph. Carter then invited her to join him on a tour bus where he allegedly served Ruth a beverage he referred to as “VIP juice,” according to a TMZ report. Ruth indicated that she believes the drink was a mix of alcohol and cranberry juice.
In the lawsuit, Ruth further alleges that after she drank the “juice,” Carter took her into the tour bus bathroom and ordered her to perform oral sex on him. Ruth alleges that she was crying during the ordeal, but Carter continued instructing her to perform the sex act, TMZ reported.
Carter is accused of proceeding to take Ruth to a bed in the back of the tour bus and continuing to sexually assault her while she “begged him to stop,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Ruth repeatedly characterized the sexual assault as rape during Thursday’s press conference, the Los Angeles Times said.
“The last 21 years have been filled with pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm … ,” Ruth told reporters Thursday.
“My motivation for coming forward today and filing this lawsuit is to stop Nick Carter from assaulting more teens and women,” she said. “I know now that I wasn’t the only woman Nick Carter did this to.”
Ruth also disclosed her autism and as well as living with cerebral palsy.
“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 the alleged sexual assault, she said.
In the complaint, Ruth further accuses Carter of using ableist and misogynistic terms. TMZ reported that she alleges Carter referred to her as a “r******* little b****” and told her no one would believe her. At the press conference, Ruth told reporters she began cutting herself soon after the alleged sexual assault occurred.
“I felt like I had nowhere to turn, no way to express my emotions, pain and confusion except by hurting myself. And I truly believed that if I told anyone, I would go to jail,” she said.
The lawsuit also alleges Carter infected Ruth with HPV. At the press conference, Ruth’s legal team indicated that they had spoken to three other women claiming Carter had both sexually assaulted and infected them with the STD, according to a Yahoo! Entertainment report.
Filed in Nevada’s Clark County, the sexual assault civil lawsuit seeks punitive and compensatory damages.
Carter has reportedly denied the sexual assault allegations in a statement provided to CNN through his attorney Michael Holtz.
Following the press conference, ABC announced that it will no longer broadcast the television special “A Very Backstreet Holiday,” which was set to air December 14. The network reportedly cited the sexual assault civil lawsuit. Previously aired comedies will broadcast instead, according to CNN.
CNN reported that Carter faced a similar allegation in 2017 after former pop singer Melissa Schuman accused him of raping her 15 years prior. Prosecutors in Los Angeles, where Schuman sought to bring charges against Carter, opted to not pursue the allegation because the statute of limitations has expired, CNN said.
FOX News also reported that Carter’s brother, Aaron Carter, labeled Nick a “serial rapist” and compared him to Jeffrey Epstein in a series of tweets. The two had been in a feud at the time, according to FOX.
DARVO is a tactic frequently used by sexual predators when faced with allegations of assault and abuse.
DARVO refers to a reaction which perpetrators of wrongdoing – particularly sexual offenders – may display in response to being held accountable for their behavior, according to Jennifer J. Freyd, PhD, of the University of Oregon.
DARVO is an acronym which stands for:
The sexual perpetrator or offender may Deny the behavior, Attack the individual doing the confronting, and Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender “such that the perpetrator assumes the victim role and turns the true victim – or the whistle-blower – into an alleged offender,” according to Dr. Freyd.
Sam Dordulian, founder of Dordulian Law Group, explained the DARVO tactic in a recent press conference announcing two sexual abuse lawsuits against former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman.
Multiple Women Have Accused George Foreman of Child Sex Abuse.
Under new legislation known as California Assembly Bill 2777 (AB 2777), all adult survivors of sexual assault are eligible to file civil claims seeking financial compensation for crimes occurring on or after January 1, 2009.
AB 2777 officially opens a three-year window for civil lawsuits to be filed in adult sexual assault cases. Sexual assault and abuse claims which would otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations are eligible to be brought in civil court through December 31, 2026.
The California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) 340.16 allows a survivor to file a lawsuit seeking to recover financial damages up to 10 years from the date of the last act or attempted act, or within three years from the date the survivor discovers (or reasonably should have discovered) that an injury illness resulted from that act (whichever is later).
Under AB 2777, claims are now automatically revived for acts of sexual assault that occurred on or after January 1, 2009, provided that those claims were barred solely because of the expiration of the statute of limitations.
The text from the legislation reads as follows:
“Until December 31, 2026, this bill revives claims seeking to recover damages suffered as a result of a sexual assault that occurred on or after January 1, 2009, that would otherwise be barred solely because the statute of limitations has or had expired. The bill additionally revives claims seeking to recover damages suffered as a result of a sexual assault that occurred on or after the plaintiff’s 18th birthday when one or more entities are legally responsible for damages and the entity or their agents engaged in a cover up, as defined, and any related claims, that would otherwise be barred prior to January 1, 2023, solely because the applicable statute of limitations has or had expired, and would authorize a cause of action to proceed if already pending in court on the effective date of the bill or, if not filed by the effective date of the bill, to be commenced between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. The bill does not revive claims that have been litigated to finality before January 1, 2023, and claims that have been compromised by written settlement agreements entered into before January 1, 2023. The bill requires allegations to state a claim subject to revival under these provisions.”
Accordingly, sexual assault survivors are able to bring claims as plaintiffs in civil court seeking financial compensation from January 1, 2023 until December 31, 2026 for crimes occurring on or after 2009 (provided those claims were never previously litigated or resolved).
Dordulian Law Group is currently accepting AB 2777 cases on behalf of sexual assault survivors seeking justice. You do not have to wait until January 1, 2023 to file your claim. Contact a member of our dedicated Sex Crimes Division today to learn more about your legal right to justice and financial compensation.
Dordulian Law Group (DLG) is led by a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County – Sam Dordulian – who has successfully obtained life sentences against some of our community’s most dangerous sexual predators. Today, Dordulian fights for justice on behalf of sexual assault survivors in civil court, working tirelessly to help them secure maximum financial compensation for past crimes.
If you experienced a sexual assault incident, don’t wait to file a claim. Contact our expert attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.
With over 25 years of experience, more than 100 jury trial victories, and in excess of $200,000,000.00 in settlements and verdicts recovered for clients, Dordulian and his SAJE Team (Sexual Assault Justice Experts) offer clients a unique four-tiered support network throughout the legal process.
Contact a DLG Los Angeles sex crimes attorney today for a free consultation regarding your sexual assault, abuse, or misconduct case. We are available 24/7 via 866-GO-SEE-SAM, and there is never any upfront fee or out-of-pocket expense for our expert legal representation. You pay nothing until after we’ve successfully secured a maximum damages award for your sexual assault claim.
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