Chase Matthew's touring bassist, Carsen Richards, was arrested in Owensboro, Kentucky, on charges that include second-degree sodomy and incest involving a person under 18.
Richards, 22, was taken into custody on Saturday, May 9, after performing at the BBQ & Barrels festival in Owensboro. He was booked into the Daviess County Detention Center and was being held on a $75,000 cash bond.
Court documents say the case stems from an indictment warrant issued before the arrest. Those records also show the alleged offenses took place in December 2020 and December 2022 and were reported to police last November, according to People.
According to the records cited in coverage, the alleged victim was 12 years old at the time of the first incident and had been diagnosed as Autistic Level 1 at Vanderbilt University Hospital. The charges listed in the case include two counts of second-degree sodomy and two counts of incest involving a person under 18 by someone at least three years older.
Matthew said in a statement that Richards was removed from the band immediately after the arrest and is no longer associated with his team. He said he was unaware of the allegations before the arrest and described the news as deeply upsetting, Taste of Country reported.
Richards had been playing with Matthew since at least 2022, when Music Connection listed him as one of the band members alongside Matthew, lead guitarist Ciaran Wilkie, and drummer Johnny Gentry. Earlier coverage also identified Richards as Matthew's bassist and music director.
Richards had performed with Matthew earlier that night at the festival, which featured Matthew as the Saturday headliner. The event took place in downtown Owensboro on May 8 and 9.
Officials have not announced additional details about the investigation, and the available records do not show whether Richards has entered a plea or retained counsel, as per the Owensboro Times.
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
