The bassist for country artist Chase Matthew, Carsen Richards, is facing serious charges related to child sexual offenses following his arrest at a Kentucky music festival.
The 22-year-old musician was taken into custody on Saturday, with accusations of sexually abusing an autistic boy on two separate occasions—once in 2020 and again in 2022—when the victim was 12 and 14 years old, according to a report by LEX18.
A video circulating on TikTok captures the moment when law enforcement officers surrounded Richards after his performance at the BBQ & Barrels event in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Authorities waited for Richards, originally from Tennessee, to finish his set before detaining him, citing concerns over the possibility that he might have been armed.
Richards is now facing charges of sodomy and incest with a minor by an individual three or more years older, which could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years if he is found guilty.
The boy’s mom reported the alleged abuse to Winchester cops in November last year and the child confirmed the claims during a police interview the following month.
Richards was confronted by the woman outside his Hendersonville apartment, on Feb. 12, according to court docs seen by the Owensboro Times.
“There is nothing more I have regretted in my life,” he reportedly told her before saying “I made an awful mistake.”
His alleged victim has Level 1 autism — the lowest support level, according to Vanderbilt University.
Matthew, known for his breakout hit “Love You Again,” has since fired Richards.
“The situation has honestly been one of the most shocking and heartbreaking things I have ever experienced,” the 28-year-old singer-songwriter wrote on Instagram.
“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.”
Matthew said, “I do not 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.”