Drummer for Indie Rockers The New Pornographers Arrested on Child Pornography Charge

Joe Seiders, the drummer for the indie rock band The New Pornographers, has been arrested in California for allegedly possessing child pornography and other sex offenses.

According to a news release by the Riverside County Sheriff, Seiders was arrested after deputies spoke with an employee at a Palm Desert Chick-Fil-A about an unknown man who was entering and exiting the bathroom with male children on several occasions. 

Deputies were dispatched to the Chick-Fil-A on April 7 and spoke with an 11-year-old boy who said an unknown male adult recorded him on a cell phone while he was using the bathroom, according to the news release. 

Deputies were sent out a second time to the same location on April 9 for similar circumstances. 

An employee allegedly stated that a male was entering and exiting the restroom with minors at the restaurant. When the employee believed it was the same man from before, he contacted the sheriff’s office, according to their statement.

When deputies arrived at the Chick-Fil-A on April 9, they identified the man to be Seiders, 44, and took him into custody, authorities said.

Seiders had played drums for Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers since 2014 and performed on three of their albums.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Seiders’ home, vehicle and cell phone where they found evidence of him being the man who kept showing up to the restaurant, the sheriff’s office said in their statement. They also found he possessed child pornography. 

Seiders was booked into a local detention center on charges of possessing child pornography, annoying/molesting a child, invasion of privacy and attempted invasion of privacy, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s office. 

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Their investigation is still ongoing, authorities said. The Riverside Sheriff’s Office believes there may be additional victims and encourages anyone with information to reach out to them. 

In a statement on Instagram, The New Pornographers said they had “immediately severed all ties” with the drummer.

“Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated by the news of the charges against Joe Seiders – and we have immediately severed all ties with him,” the group wrote in its statement. “Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by his actions.”

Seiders is being held on $1 million bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, according to online court records. He is due back in court in Indio on Tuesday, April 22.

Information on an attorney or plea were not immediately available.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.