Staff Writer
The former members of rock group Lostprophets have released a statement on their Facebook page, regarding the shocking and disgusting crimes of former front man, Ian Watkins.
Watkins, who was admired and looked up to by many young teens, pleaded guilty to a number of sex offenses last week, two of those were counts of attempting to rape an 11-month old baby.
The other members of the group have said that they are “heartbroken, angry and disgusted,” and have made it clear that they had no knowledge of the crime. “Many of you understandably want to know if we knew what Ian was doing. To be clear: We did not.”
They did, however, notice strange behaviour from Watkins in recent years. The band members said:
We knew that Ian was a difficult character. Our personal relationships with him had deteriorated in recent years to a point that working together was a constant, miserable challenge. But despite his battles with drugs, his egotistic behaviour, and the resulting fractures and frustrations within our band, we never imagined him capable of behaviour of the type he has now admitted.
They continued by saying:
This is something that will haunt us for the rest of our lives… Being in a band has always been a labour of love and a platform to inspire people, not to take advantage of them. It’s still hard to believe this is happening and that someone we were once so close to has destroyed so many lives, lying every step of the way.
They finished their statement by sending out messages of hope and sorrow to victims, family and friends who were affected by Watkins’ crimes. They said:
Our hearts go out to Ian’s family, the fans and friends he betrayed, and most importantly, the victims of his crimes and others like them. We hope for justice, but also that Ian will truly take responsibility for what he’s done. We would urge any other victims to contact the authorities.
The band split in October 2012 following Watkins arrests for the offences, and he is due to be sentenced on December 18.
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