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Two creepy child star managers are having their day in court this week. First up, Lou Pearlman, the scumbag Miami businessman who managed both N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys. Pearlman was arrested last year in a federal bank fraud case, and changed his plea on those charges to guilty yesterday.
Lou Pearlman, best known for his work with boy bands like the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync, struck a plea deal in his federal bank fraud case and will work with prosecutors to help recover millions of dollars he is accused of stealing.
Pearlman allegedly defrauded banks out of more than $100 million and stole another $300 mil from investors. Psssh — chump change!
He entered a not guilty plea last year, but will change his plea to guilty in a hearing scheduled for Thursday. As for jail time, that’s for a judge to decide.
While Pearlman was incarcerated, rumors began circulating that the boy band manager had a nasty habit of putting the moves on his young male singers. Page Six reported last year that Pearlman’s favorite victim was Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter.
Phoenix Stone, an early member of the Backstreet Boys, tells Vanity Fair Pearlman was “definitely inappropriate” with Nick Carter. Nick’s mom, Jane Carter, wouldn’t get into specifics, but said, “Certain things happened and it almost destroyed our family. I tried to warn everyone. I tried to warn all the mothers . . . I tried to expose him for what he was years ago.”
That’s just awful. No word yet on whether any of these rumors will ever translate into criminal charges.
One case that has indeed become a matter of the court is the recent conviction of Josh Werkman, manager of Dylan and Cole Sprouse, stars of the Disney Channel’s hit show, “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” Werkman pled guilty to one count of molestation as well as the sale of alcoholic beverages to a minor. While the Sprouse twins were not involved in the case, it should be pointed out that the child who was molested by Werkman was a 16-year-old boy. Shudder.
Child star manager Josh Werkman has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor child molestation and misdemeanor sale of alcoholic beverage to a minor.
Werkman entered his plea in on Friday in Ventura County Superior Court. He will be sentenced on April 2.
Werkman manages Cole and Dylan Sprouse, the twin stars of the Disney Channel’s “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” The twins were NOT involved in the case.
Werkman is also CEO of Merimark Entertainment and served as producer on the Sprouse twins’ two most recent movies.
Calls to Merimark for comment were not immediately returned. Reps for the Disney Channel had no comment.
Law enforcement tells us Werkman was initially arrested for felony sexual battery by restraint. Sources tell TMZ the alleged victim is a 16-year-old male.
Werkman’s lawyer, Steve Cron, says “Josh admitted he annoyed an individual who is a minor and provided that person with alcohol on the day in question. He acknowledged that he used bad judgment on that occasion and that is why he pleaded no contest to the two charges.”
UPDATE: TMZ spoke with the prosecutor in the case, Rameen Minoui, who tells us that Werkman must register as a sex offender, and could face up to one year in jail.
“Bad judgment”??? That’s the new way to explain molesting a child? You’ve got to be kidding me.
These stories are not only despicable, they should serve as a cautionary tale for parents thinking of getting their kids into show business: there are a lot of sick people in Hollywood and they’ll take advantage of anyone if there’s money to be gained– even a child.
