B2K's Former Member Claimed Former Manager Molested the Band
Wed, 26 December 2007 03:01:26 ET
Words are spreading that Raz B, the ex-member of B2K, and his brother, Ricky Romance, accused B2K's former manager, Chris Stokes of pedophilia. The rumor surfaced after a video footage of the two brothers confessed that in their early years, they became the victim of child molestation done by Stokes was posted on YouTube.com on December 23, 2007. Apart from that, B also believed that his fellow bandmates, Omarion, Lil' Fizz and J-Boog, were also molested by Stokes.
In the video, Raz B can be seen being asked a series of questions by the sister of Marques Houston. Houston was also accused of taking part in the molestation. According to press release, when asked about the accusation, the 22-year-old R 'n' B singer said, "It all started with Chris Stokes. Chris was like - let me touch you... I can't speak for everybody, but if you want my personal opinion, I think he did (touch all group members)."
On another clip, it was reported that B's brother, Romance whose real name is Ricardo Thorton, added he was also molested by Stokes and was partly blaming himself for B's being molested. He said, "Chris (Stokes) made me take showers with the other boys... All the (things) that my brother was introduced to, that s**t was brought to me first... (Stokes) molested my brother and he molested me... when I say that, it hurts."
Moreover, in a telephone call to a man believed to be Stokes which is also documented in the video, it appeared that the manager confesses the crimes saying, "I don't do that anymore. That was me years ago... I just don't do that in my life anymore."
However, on Monday (24.12.07), Stokes released a statement denying the allegation stating, "The accusations that Demario 'Raz B' Thorton and Ricardo Thorton have made are vehemently false and hold no merit. I have recently stopped financially supporting both individuals along with assisting them with their criminal and legal matters which leads me to believe they are resentful and looking to benefit financially from this."
The CEO of The Ultimate Group then added, "My family is my first priority and the reason why I have been so supportive of them. In bringing these false claims, they have not only slandered me, they have also put me in a position to ensure that the truth is known and I will take all legal routes to protect myself, my family and my four children. It's also quite ironic that these statements were made only 2 weeks after they were denied admittance by a venue for an event I hosted in Beverly Hills."