no doubt about it, Ian Watkins is a nonce

[MJMilz14]

The stuff was in the public domain, but I would assume anyone who read it viewed it as crazed fans and the like. After all Watkins managed to fool the police into thinking Joanne Magick was harassing him and a bit buts when she went to the police in 2008, and it was believable because they did have a lot of crazed obsessed fans.

Sadly there's no greater evidence of that, than the two mothers who gave there baby's up for Watkins sick pleasure.

The things he has pleaded guilty too are so depraved and sickening, that without the hindsight of the guilty plea and the evidence, it really was incredibly difficult to believe the rumours were anything other than made up by a couple of nutcases.

[eFestivals]

The stuff was in the public domain, but I would assume anyone who read it viewed it as crazed fans and the like. After all Watkins managed to fool the police into thinking Joanne Magick was harassing him and a bit buts when she went to the police in 2008, and it was believable because they did have a lot of crazed obsessed fans.

Sadly there's no greater evidence of that

From what i've read in the press I don't believe that's true. I've read a report somewhere about one of the Yorkshire police forces not having acted on a report made to them a year before Watkins' arrest, and that they're being investigated over it.

As for what Majic reported, did Watkins "convince the police" or was it more of a case of money talking, particularly against the word of a sex worker? It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

The things he has pleaded guilty too are so depraved and sickening, that without the hindsight of the guilty plea and the evidence, it really was incredibly difficult to believe the rumours were anything other than made up by a couple of nutcases.

I get what you're saying here, but anything more than than a cursory investigation would have brought up enough so easily for anyone to think that it would be worth digging some more.

I'm no huge fan of the old bill at the best of times, but I find it extremely hard to believe that there was either massive incompetence, or corruption, at work amongst all of this by them. If the police won't properly consider a very serious allegation, what exact do they exist for?

[LondonTom]

I reckon they probably didn't know about the properly depraved stuff he was up to(the baby stuff basically, you'd think at least one of them would have said something if they had? surely?)...but likely at least had suspicions about him being a bit pervy with the fans and that but chose to turn a blind eye. I could imagine someone not wanting to know more than they might otherwise to find out in that situation.

[kaosmark2]

I am not saying one way or the other. I am just saying what I said.

[eFestivals]

I reckon they probably didn't know about the properly depraved stuff he was up to(the baby stuff basically, you'd think at least one of them would have said something if they had? surely?)...but likely at least had suspicions about him being a bit pervy with the fans and that but chose to turn a blind eye. I could imagine someone not wanting to know more than they might otherwise to find out in that situation.

I find it very very hard to believe that they'd have known about the baby stuff and done nothing - but there's all sorts of reasons why they might not have.

The first one is much the same as we probably all feel about it - that it seems unbelievable. The police don't seem to have believed it from one or more complaints made. So the band might have not believed it either.

At the other end of things, another reason might be that one or more of them have indulged in their own illegal acts, with or without Ian.

And then there's friendship, money/the band's future, etc, etc, etc.

All things are possible.

[kaosmark2]

A negative vote for saying what I said sums a few of you up here You sad fucker you

[eFestivals]

It wasn't me either.

But I wish it had been.

[kaosmark2]

It wasn't me either.

But I wish it had been.

[Guest]

But then how seriously would they take the rantings of a groupie that he's treated badly? They were probably treating groupies badly themselves (in terms of one night stands etc rather than raping their babies) like most bands do I'm sure.

Edited December 3, 2013 by tonyblair

[Osama Jim Laden]

I find it very very hard to believe that they'd have known about the baby stuff and done nothing - but there's all sorts of reasons why they might not have.

The first one is much the same as we probably all feel about it - that it seems unbelievable. The police don't seem to have believed it from one or more complaints made. So the band might have not believed it either.

At the other end of things, another reason might be that one or more of them have indulged in their own illegal acts, with or without Ian.

And then there's friendship, money/the band's future, etc, etc, etc.

All things are possible.

[Osama Jim Laden]

why the assumption that groupies are treated badly?

Edited December 3, 2013 by Osama Jim Laden

[Guest]

What he's saying is (un)knowingly having sex with them when they're probably unsure if they're if a legal age, not treated badly..

It could be what the groupie wants at the time that the band, being older/wiser took advantage of, rather than cutting them off..

[Osama Jim Laden]

that's what I would have guessed. It's just the assumption that a groupie might not have a say in proceedings I'm questioning. They're not all underage either.

[russycarps]

why the assumption that groupies are usually treated badly?

[feral chile]

that's what I would have guessed. It's just the assumption that a groupie might not have a say in proceedings I'm questioning. They're not all underage either.

[eFestivals]

It's also funny Neil won't allow people to vote him up or down

It's the default setting. It's not something I've deliberately chosen to do.

[eFestivals]

If they DID know about the baby stuff, they're just as bad for allowing it to happen..

I don't believe that though, more along the lines of underage/close to the limit groupies maybe which probably happens with a few bands on tour..

Even if they want to get back into music in some capacity, people are going to ask questions of them.. They might actually need to speak out/make a statement..

They have already, saying they knew nothing.

The problem with that is that they'd be exceedingly likely to say they knew nothing even if they knew everything, so it doesn't actually make things any clearer in reality.

[eFestivals]

that's what I would have guessed. It's just the assumption that a groupie might not have a say in proceedings I'm questioning. They're not all underage either.

In this case - for Watkins, if not the rest of the band - there's stuff in the public domain about Lostprophets groupies being treated badly and not having a meaningful say in what happened ... and with some the suggestion is that it was their first sexual experience, having 'saved' themselves for the band.

I have no problem with any consensual sexual 'deviations', but from those comments I've read it definitely sounds much more like abuse than consensual.

[Guest]

Where do you draw the line though? A teacher who's admired, a doctor, counsellor, all have a relationship of power that they shouldn't abuse.

When I met my idol at 16, I wouldn't have slept with him, because I would have thought of it as being used.

[Guest]

In this case - for Watkins, if not the rest of the band - there's stuff in the public domain about Lostprophets groupies being treated badly and not having a meaningful say in what happened ... and with some the suggestion is that it was their first sexual experience, having 'saved' themselves for the band.

[eFestivals]

oh, I didn't know that. Is the suggestion that it was Watkins who was treating them badly, or the rest of the band too?

I'm not entirely sure now. I might be mixing up in my head two different things from two different sources.

[russycarps]

there was definitely something in those 1000s of comments on that dating site about the rest of the band, though I think it was just about how they ignored what that girl said to them about him, rather than things they did themselves. Though obviously what was said in those comments is hardly a reliable source of truth

[eFestivals]

there was definitely something in those 1000s of comments on that dating site about the rest of the band, though I think it was just about how they ignored what that girl said to them about him, rather than things they did themselves. Though obviously what was said in those comments is hardly a reliable source of truth

well, you say that, but .... much of what is posted there we now know to be true.

If you stumbled across it randomly in the past, chances are that you'd dismiss it as trolling bullshit. But I don't think it can be so easily dismissed today.

[feral chile]

I don't know...

There are bands where the audience is a similar age to them. If a musician is at an after gig party and a girl one of them likes is hitting on them, should there be a need to show a sense of responsibility? Where 'do' you draw the line? I'm not sure musicians have the same professional responsibility that doctors and counsellors, who people go to for advice, have.

[russycarps]

well, you say that, but .... much of what is posted there we now know to be true.

If you stumbled across it randomly in the past, chances are that you'd dismiss it as trolling bullshit. But I don't think it can be so easily dismissed today.