lostprophets2012

Ian Watkins appears in court; denies rape charges

Ian Watkins, frontman of Lostprophets (pictured, center) appeared in court today and denied 23 charges of sexual offenses against children, according to the BBC News. He also denied a 24th charge of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals.

Watkins was detained last December on charges that he, along with two unnamed female accomplices, had conspired to rape minors (one of whom was an infant) and had been in possession of and distributing indecent images of children.

The band has since shut down their official website. “[W]e find ourselves in a state of shock. We are learning about the details of the investigation along with you. It is a difficult time for us and our families, and we want to thank our fans for their support as we seek answers.”

Fearless Records also commented, “At this stage, the situation is in the hands of legal advisors and we trust them to do their due diligence in this matter.”