Joseph Seiders, drummer for the Canadian indie rock band The New Pornographers, has been arrested following an incident at a Palm Desert business involving juvenile males.
At around 3:55 p.m. on April 7, Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to a “suspicious circumstance” in the 73000 block of Dinah Shore Drive. They spoke to an 11-year-old boy who claimed an adult man recorded him as he was using the bathroom located inside the business, the department said in a press release.
Then, on April 9, the department received another report at the same location from an employee who said an adult male was “entering and exiting the restroom with juvenile males at the business.”
Deputies believed the suspect was the man accused in the April 7 incident. When they arrived to the scene, they located Seiders and took him into custody.
After obtaining a search warrant, police searched the drummer’s home, vehicle and cell phone and said they found “evidence was located implicating him in the two reported incidents, along with additional crimes, including possessing child pornography.”
The 44-year-old was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio for possession of child pornography, annoying/molesting a child, invasion of privacy, and attempted invasion of privacy.
Seiders’ band, The New Pornographers, issued a statement on April 17 via Instagram.
“Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated by the news of the charges of Joe Seiders- we have immediately severed all ties with him,” the statement said. “Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by his actions.”
Formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, Seiders joined the band in 2014. The band has released nine records with the latest one, “Continue as a Guest” being released in 2023.
The Riverside Sheriff’s Office believes there may be additional victims and encourages anyone with information related to this investigation to contact Investigator Iniguez at 760–836–1600 or Riverside Sheriff’s Dispatched at 951–776–1099.
