A country music musician was arrested in Owensboro on sodomy and incest charges after leaving the stage at the BBQ & Barrels event on Saturday.
The Owensboro Police Department said investigators received information from the Winchester Police Department that 22-year-old Carsen Richards, a bassist for country music singer Chase Matthew, was wanted on felony sodomy and incest charges and that he would be performing at the BBQ & Barrels event on Saturday.
On Saturday night at approximately 9:40, Owensboro officers took Richard’s into custody “shortly after he exited the stage, before he could reach a tour bus and away from the main crowd,” the Owensboro PD said in a social media post.
The suspect was transported to the Daviess County Detention Center where he’s being held on a $75,000 cash bond.
Richards is accused of sexually assaulting an autistic 12-year-old relative between December 2020 and December 2022, according to LehighValleyLive.com. He was charged with second-degree sodomy and incest (victim under the age of 18).
Matthew released the following statement on Instagram on Richards’ arrest:
“The situation has honestly been one of the most shocking and heartbreaking things I have ever experienced. When I first heard the allegations, I was sick to my stomach. I would never associate myself with a person I think could even be remotely capable of something like this, much less hire them to be on my team. The reality is, you don’t always know what someone may be doing outside of your workplace, and nothing would have made me believe this was a possibility. As of his arrest this past weekend, this individual was immediately removed from the band and is no longer associated with me or my team in any capacity. And I want to be very clear: I do no support or tolerate behavior of this kind whatsoever.
I am truly disturbed and disgusted by the details of these allegations. My heart breaks for anyone affected. Like you, I’m learning this information as it comes out publicly. I don’t know anything more than y’all know. This is an ongoing legal matter, and I trust that the legal system will go through the correct procedures to get to the bottom of this.”
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
