Welsh rocker Ian Watkins has been charged with child sex crimes in his native country. In addition to allegedly possessing child pornography, the 35-year-old is accused of plotting to rape a girl under the age of 13.
South Wales authorities say Watkins, the lead singer of the rock band Lostprophets, has been charged with “conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a female under 13 and possession/distribution of indecent images of children.” Two women in their early twenties face similar charges in connection with the case.
Watkins appeared in Cardiff Magistrates' Court today and was denied bail. His next hearing is set for December 31.
His rep refused to release a statement, telling EntertainmentWise "there is no comment at this stage." In a post on their official website on Monday, the Lostprophets announced the cancellation of upcoming shows in Russia and Japan.
"Over the course of our career, we’ve prided ourselves on fighting through all obstacles to deliver our music to friends and fans across the globe. However, there are certain circumstances in life which are beyond our control, and in this instance, we’ve had to make the gut-wrenching decision to cancel shows,” the band wrote.
"Due to a critical illness in the Lostprophets family, the band has unfortunately decided to cancel our dates in Russia and Japan. Words cannot express how saddened we are by this – our international fans always make us so welcome and we are so sorry to do this to you," the statement continued. "We promise we will do everything in our power to get back to Russia and Japan as soon as possible to make up for this."
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