[ad_1]
Supplied
A Wellington musician has appeared in court charged with rape, indecent assault and illegal sexual connection.
A Wellington musician appeared in court charged with rape and indecent battery and was released on bail.
A 23-year-old appeared before Wellington District Court Judge Pat Grace on Monday. He faces five counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault.
You have been granted the provisional deletion of the name.
Judge Grace heard a request for bail from the man’s attorney, Robert Lithgow QC. Police objected to the request.
He was granted bail, a 24-hour curfew was imposed and the man was sent until the New Year.
READ MORE:
* Wellington musicians accusations: Twenty women file official complaints of rape, sexual assault and assault.
* Up to 60 additional police officers to begin patrolling ‘high risk’ Wellington locations
* The whistleblower and Wellington Police continue to urge people not to use social media after the allegations.
* People are being wrongly accused of sexual assault in Wellington on social media, police say.
Other conditions imposed on the bond were not requesting travel documents, residing at a certain address, not consuming drugs and alcohol, and not crossing any border.
Police confirmed the arrest was part of Operation Emerald, an investigation launched in October after allegations were made on social media about a group of Wellington musicians.
The charges date from 2017 to 2020 and are presumed to have taken place in Wellington and Porirua and name six victims.
There were multiple allegations after the initial claims were made.
The police had urged potential whistleblowers to come forward and speak with them.
Wellington City Councilor Tamatha Paul and Victims Advocate Louise Nicholas had spoken on behalf of the complainants.
This came after a woman, who did not reveal her real name on her social media account, posted accusations against the musicians.
At least 60 people, both men and women, had sent him messages alleging similar allegations involving the same group, which he later reposted anonymously, he wrote.
