Extremely bleak news tonight: Joseph Seiders, drummer for the New Pornographers, has been arrested for possession of child pornography.
As reported by Palm Desert, CA news station KESQ, Seiders, who lives in Palm Desert, was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on April 9 and charged with possession of child pornography, annoying/molesting a child, invasion of privacy, and attempted invasion of privacy.
KESQ and the Riverside County Sherriff's Office explain that on April 7, officers responded to a report from an 11-year-old boy who claimed an unknown man recorded him on a cell phone while he was using the restroom at a Chick-Fil-A on Dinah Shore Drive. On April 9, an employee at the same location reported that a man was entering and exiting the restroom with juvenile males. Officers arrived on the scene and took Seiders into custody, believing him to also be the man from the previous incident.
Upon Seiders' arrest, search warrants were issued for his home, vehicle, and cell phone. Officers say they found evidence implicating Seiders in the Chick-Fil-A bathroom incidents and further crimes, including possession of child pornography. He's being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail and is due to appear at the Indio Larson Justice Center on Tuesday.
Seiders, 44, joined the New Pornographers in 2014. The band existed for 17 years before he joined and, despite the name, has nothing to do with pornography. It's a very unfortunate coincidence.
UPDATE: The New Pornographers have issued a statement on their Instagram account, which reads as follows: "Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated by the news of the charges against Joe Seiders — and we have immediately severed all ties with him. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by his actions."
If you or someone you know is undergoing sexual abuse, please visit rainn.org or contact the National Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-800-656-4673.
