Rape claim against Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter considered by prosecutor
Carter denies sexually assaulting a woman in 2003, and says he is "shocked and saddened" by the claims.
Friday 3 August 2018 13:29, UK
A rape allegation made against Nick Carter is being reviewed by prosecutors.
A woman has accused the 38-year-old singer of sexually assaulting her in 2003.
The Backstreet Boys member has denied the charge.
While the alleged victim was not named, actress and singer Melissa Schuman tweeted earlier this year that she had filed a police report.
The 33-year-old previously wrote a blog post accusing Carter of raping her at his Santa Monica apartment while they were working on a TV film together.
Titled "Don't worry, I won't tell anybody", she says she was 18 and a virgin at the time of the alleged attack.
She alleges the boyband member, who was aged 22 at the time, "threw me on the bed and climbed on top of me".
She says that while she didn't initially tell anyone, she later told her therapist, family and friends.
In her post she writes: "When the news broke about the gross accusations of Harvey Weinstein, many of my friends and family asked me if I wanted to come forward with my story. I said no."
Schuman says she finally decided to come forward after seeing an allegation against Carter from another woman in October.
She also highlighted the negative comments the new allegation had received, writing: "Victim shaming is a core reason why victims don't speak out."
She went on: "I feel I have an obligation now to come forward with the hope and intention to inspire and encourage other victims to tell their story."
A hashtag on Twitter #IStandWithNickCarter has been widely used, with supporters of the singer claiming Schuman's claims are fake.
In response to blog post, Carter denied Schuman's claims saying he was "shocked and saddened".
Backstreet Boys, which formed in 1993 with members Carter, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson, are one of the biggest-selling boy bands of all time.
Carter, who was just 13 when the band were first put together, is currently in residence with the rest of the group in Las Vegas, where they are scheduled to play until April next year.
Carter is the latest in a long line of high-profile men to face accusations of sexual misconduct following the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
Multiple claims made against the Hollywood producer late last year sparked the worldwide #MeToo movement.
Sky News has contacted Nick Carter's manager for comment.