A popular rock band canceled a scheduled tour on Monday after one of its members was arrested on federal child pornography charges.
Mac Saturn played the first concert of the tour in its hometown of Detroit on Friday, just hours after the band’s keyboardist, Evan Mercer, was arrested, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The group had announced before the Detroit show that Mercer, 27, was no longer a member.
Mercer was arrested by the FBI and accused of possessing video of himself “engaging in sexual acts with underage victims,” the Free Press reported.
Some of the videos were reportedly found by an ex-girlfriend of Mercer’s on an iCloud account they shared.
After Mercer’s arrest, Mac Saturn spent the weekend considering whether to cancel the tour, which had been set to take the up-and-coming band to 35 cities across North America.
In a statement posted Monday across the group’s social media accounts, the remaining members said they had come to the decision to pull out of the tour.
“Friday was a paralyzing day and something that none of us could have ever prepared ourselves for. We have taken a few days to process and come to you with this message from our hearts,” the statement began.
— Mac Saturn (@MacSaturn) January 30, 2024
“First and most importantly, we want to extend our deepest and most profound sympathies, not only to the victims of the shocking and appalling behavior that our former band member Evan Mercer has been accused of but to anyone who has ever been a victim of such heinous and inexcusable crimes.
“We stand with all those who have been affected and are steadfast in our belief that anyone who has committed such atrocities should be held accountable to the absolute fullest extent of the law,” the band continued.
“We also apologize for the hurt and confusion this has caused all of you over the last several days. We are beyond embarrassed that we put trust in someone who could do this.
“In our darkest hour, we remain dedicated to creating music and spaces for people to celebrate life as safely and respectfully as possible.
“In light of this, we have made the difficult decision to end our tour effective immediately and will be making a donation to the Joyful Heart Foundation to help ensure victims and survivors have access to resources and treatment in the future.”
The statement was signed by Mac Saturn members Carson Macc, Mike Moody, Angelo Coppola and Nick Barone.
The Free Press reported that Mercer was ordered by a federal judge on Monday to remain in jail until his trial.
He is charged with enticement of a minor, producing and/or attempting to produce child pornography, possessing and/or accessing with intent to view child pornography, and attempt to possess with intent to view child pornography, according to WJBK-TV.
