Boy Band Member Ricky Garcia Sues Ex-Manager Over Alleged Sexual Abuse

Disney actor and Forever In Your Mind band member Ricky Garcia has reportedly filed a suit against former manager Joby Harte, Hot Rock Media, APA, Cohen/ Thomas Management and several other music industry players for allegedly committing and abetting sexual assault.

In the complaint submitted to the L.A. County Superior court as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Garcia reveals that he has suffered childhood sexual assault at the hands of Harte ever since he was 12 years old. The now 20-year old says that since it began, Harte raped and sexually assaulted him “dozens of times” throughout his teenage years. According to documents obtained by PEOPLE, by the time Garcia was 16, the sexual assault continued nearly on a weekly basis.

Garcia also claims that he was forced to be a “sexual plaything that could be passed around his [Harte] friends in the business,” namely manager-producer Nils Larsen and ex-APA agent Tyler Grasham. According to the singer, Larsen grabbed his penis over his pants in a 2016 concert while Grasham made sexually aggressive comments and licked his toes.

Ricky Garcia Speaks Out

Garcia said he didn’t come forward about the assault earlier on because he was afraid of the potential fallout. But on March of 2018, he cracked and first told Harte’s former assistant who then told Garcia’s mother. When he was confronted, Harte allegedly brushed it off as “horseplay.” After filing the complaint, Garcia also took to Instagram to reveal the news and encourage everyone who has gone through the same experience to come forward.

“Defendant Harte, the ringleader, employed the well-worn pedophile playbook of grooming and seduction.” Geragos & Geragos attorney Ben Meiselas said in the complaint. “He targeted an economically and emotionally vulnerable pre-teen and his parents. He then groomed and seduced the child’s mother to have her lay down her defenses and give him unfettered access to her son, making her an unwitting accomplice to his depravity.”

On Wednesday, Larsen’s attorney Marty Singer sent a statement to THR in response to the complaint saying that Larsen disputes the claims made against him. “He intends to sue the attorneys for malicious prosecution after he prevails in this action.” Singer said.

In addition to Harte, Larsen, and Grasham, Garcia is also suing APA, Hot Rock Media, and Cohen/Thomas Management and its partners Sheri Andersen Thomas and Paul Cohen. He accuses them of having a part in the assault through failing to prevent it even though it has happened to others before him already. He also says that they allowed such crimes to happen by “fostering a sexually abusive culture in their offices.”

Apart from Larsen, the other defendants have not yet released a response to the complaint.

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