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LAS VEGAS, NV – Dec. 8, 2022 – A civil lawsuit was filed today against Backstreet Boys pop star Nick Carter for the February 2001 rape of a 17-year-old girl.
The crime occurred following a Backstreet Boys concert in Tacoma, Washington.
The lawsuit was filed in Las Vegas because that’s where Carter lives.
“We want entertainers like Carter to know that just because they’re famous they’re not above the law,” said attorney Mark Boskovich of the San Jose-based law firm Cerri, Boskovich & Allard.
The victim, Shay Ruth, is now 39 years old. She is on the autism spectrum and has a mild case of cerebral palsy.
Shay was a virgin when Carter raped her.
“Nick Carter is a monster,” Boskovich said. “The lawsuit alleges that Shay was in the autograph line when Carter invited her to join him on his tour bus and gave her a funny tasting drink that he called VIP Juice. Then Carter took Shay to the bathroom, exposed himself and forced her to perform sexual acts.”
After the assault in the bathroom, the lawsuit states that Carter took Shay to the back of the bus, pushed her onto a bed and raped her.
“I pleaded with him over and over again to stop,” Shay said. “I was so upset that I cried throughout the ordeal. Afterward, he called me a ‘retarded little bitch’ and threatened me, saying no one would believe me and I’d go to jail if I told what happened. He also said he’d turn people against me because he’s Nick Carter and he would wreck my life.”
Shay suffered alone in silence. She is now in therapy, learning how to cope with the pain, confusion and shame Carter caused.
“After my assault, I started cutting myself to hide my pain. I still struggle with self-harm problems and I have self-esteem, trust and self-doubt issues,” Shay said. “I am getting better and I am ready to seek justice. My main reason I’m here today is I want to stop Nick Carter from doing this to somebody else.”
However, Carter has apparently done this before.
“The investigation into Shay’s case led us to other victims, whose stories are remarkably similar – they were all virgins when Carter sexually assaulted them and they were all infected with HPV,” Boskovich said. “I’m hoping other women will come forward and stand with Shay since Nick Carter apparently has a long history of sexual assaults.”
Shay is hoping other women come forward, too, and is especially concerned about how the epidemic of sexual abuse is impacting the developmentally disabled.
“If I don’t speak out on behalf of disabled people, who will,” Shay asked. “I also want my sister survivors to know they are not alone and even though it’s scary to come forward, now is the time for us to stand together. Carter took away my childhood and innocence but he cannot take away my strength and my truth. I am a survivor and always will be.”
Boskovich is encouraging anyone with information on Shay’s case, as well as other women who may have been sexually assaulted by Nick Carter, to call 408-289-1417.
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