Crime

Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter is being sued for sexual battery, after an alleged incident with a minor back in 2001 ... an incident our Carter sources say is totally false.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Shannon Ruth -- who says she was 17 at the time of the alleged assault -- was invited by Carter to his tour bus after a Backstreet Boys concert in Tacoma, WA while waiting in the autograph line.

The docs say Ruth, who has autism and cerebral palsy, was asked if she wanted a drink ... she asked for apple juice, and Carter allegedly told her he had cranberry -- giving her a "red-colored drink."

Ruth says the drink tasted off, and Carter called it "VIP juice" ... but drank it to not be rude. She now believes it was a mix of alcohol and cranberry juice.

According to the docs, Carter then brought her to the bus' bathroom, and ordered her to perform oral sex on him ... Ruth claims she was crying during the ordeal, but he kept instructing her.

She then says Carter took her to a bed on the bus and continued to sexually assault her ... and after the incident, she allegedly said she'd tell people about what he did, but he threatened to turn others against her -- calling her a "r******* little bitch" that no one would believe.

The docs say Ruth, who claims she was a virgin before the alleged assault, had contracted HPV afterward ... and she's now seeking damages.

A source close to Nick tells us, "This accusation is categorically false, Nick is focusing on his family and mourning the death of his brother."

As we reported, Nick's faced rape allegations in the past, but has never been charged with any crimes.

Cops in Idaho want to speak with whoever was driving or a passenger in a white Hyundai Elantra that may have been in the neighborhood on the night 4 college students were killed.

Moscow PD says they've received tips about a vehicle that matches this description -- the model year being between 2011 and 2013 -- near the crime scene in the early morning hours of November 13. They have not released a license plate number.

Investigators are also unsure how many people may have been inside the car, but in any case, they say they're seeking them out -- as they feel they might have more info.

Cops are not saying whether they suspect the occupant(s) of the vehicle is directly involved in the murders -- but it feels like a solid lead after weeks of dead ends, with no one in custody.

As we reported ... frustrations have mounted in the community after many conflicting and retracted statements from law enforcement. At first, it was labeled a targeted attack against the victims, then saying it was maybe just the house was targeted ... later correcting that too and saying they just didn't know.

Cops have also ruled out an alleged stalker of one of the victims as a possible lead -- and don't seem to have moved much further beyond square one in terms of answers.

Former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza will not face criminal charges ... despite being accused of participating in the gang rape of a minor at a party in 2021.

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office announced the declination of charges on Wednesday ... saying in a statement, "Ultimately, prosecutors determined it is clear the evidence does not support the filing of criminal charges."

They added, "There is no path to a potential criminal conviction."

As we reported, Araiza was sued back in August, after a woman identified only as Jane Doe said the NFL player and two other men gang raped her at an Oct. 17, 2021 party at Araiza's San Diego home.

Doe, who said she was only 17 years old at the time, claimed in the suit that a short time after she met Araiza at the Halloween-themed bash ... the former San Diego State punter handed her a drink that she later believed contained alcohol and "other intoxicating substances."

In the suit, she alleged the two then engaged in sexual acts outside of the home ... before he led her to a room in the house where he and two of his SDSU teammates, Nowlin "Pa'a" Ewaliko and Zavier Leonard, sexually abused her for over an hour.

Doe claimed once the party was shut down, she "stumbled out of the room bloody and crying." She sued Araiza, Ewaliko and Leonard for unspecified damages.

Her attorney, Dan Gilleon, said in a statement to The Athletic that he was "not surprised" by Wednesday's news.

"The police rarely pay much attention to cases where the victim is intoxicated," he said. "Here, the police made it clear in January 2022 that they weren’t interested in the case. They made that clear by ghosting my client and keeping her in the dark. It was only the media attention that caused the police to commence a dog and pony show long enough for them to say they conducted a thorough investigation."

Video showing a deadly shoot-out between New Mexico State basketball player Mike Peake and a student from a rival school has been released ... and it's terrifying.

The surveillance footage, put out by New Mexico State Police on Tuesday, was captured on Nov. 19 on the University of New Mexico's main campus at around 3 AM.

According to cops, Peake -- a 21-year-old Aggies forward who was in town for NMSU's basketball game against UNM -- was "lured" to the area by a 17-year-old girl and several other male UNM students ... who were allegedly trying to beat him up over an incident that had happened at the UNM-NMSU football game in October.

The video, obtained by KOB 4, shows Peake initially had a gun pointed at him ... while another man ran in and hit him in the leg with a baseball bat.

As Peake turned to sprint away from his attackers, the clip shows he pulled out a firearm -- and began shooting. Cops say he and 19-year-old Brandon Travis traded gunfire ... before Travis was eventually struck and killed.

According to police, Peake was also hit by gunfire during the altercation. He's since undergone multiple surgeries, but is expected to recover.

NMSU announced earlier this week Peake -- who had started two Aggies games this season -- has been suspended from the school's basketball team indefinitely over the altercation.

The CFO for an NYC hotspot -- frequented by celebs -- was caught serving up rage to an employee she's accusing of stealing and selling recipes to a competitor, and we have audio of her brutally racist rant.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Naomi Ram of Jue Lan Club called staffer Jose Luis Toxqui and another employee into a back office in August. From there, she not only accused them of giving out free drinks from the bar, but also accused Jose and his girlfriend -- who works at competitor restaurant Sei Less -- of stealing Jue Lan's recipes.

The verbal tirade is stunning, Ram announces, "Somebody is going to f***ing go to jail tonight ... I will f*** your ass up in f***ing immigration. I will f*** you the f*** up."

Toxqui, who is Mexican, remains mostly silent throughout Ram's attack, as she also accuses him of giving out free drinks at the bar, before asking, "You ever been sent to ICE motherf***er?"

We've split the entire audio into 2 clips ... but in the one above, Ram really ramps things up, yelling, "I will make sure you never step foot back in this country."

She then delivers her most vicious attack, saying, "You little f****ing Mexican illegal pieces of s*** like you, shouldn't f*** with people who f***ing have money and f***ing who know f***ing s***!"

After this exchange, Toxqui ended up filing a police report against Naomi for harassment, and he told NYPD he hadn't stolen anything from her or the restaurant.

According to Page Six, Toxqui sued Ram for assault, battery and unpaid wages in September. During at least one part of the audio, it does sound like Ram might have physically assaulted Toxqui.

The dispute is scheduled to go to mediation in January.

When Page Six wrote about the dispute -- without the audio -- an attorney for Ram said, "Neither our office nor our clients have been provided with the purported audio recording, nor have we had the opportunity to listen to or verify it, and so we cannot comment on it. However, we intend to vigorously defend the litigation in the appropriate forum and not through the press.”

Tory Lanez is facing yet another hurdle in his Megan Thee Stallion shooting case -- prosecutors are hitting him with a third charge just as his trial is about to begin.

Court records show the new charge against Tory is felony negligent discharge of a firearm ... which comes on top of his previous 2 charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm.

As we reported, Tory plead not guilty, way back in 2020, to the first 2 charges ... denying Megan's claim he was the one who shot her in the foot while they were in a vehicle together.

She put him on blast the following month, saying on social media "Yes, this n**** Tory shot me. You shot me, and you got your publicist and your people to these blogs lying and s***, stop lying!"

In the 2 years since ... both have traded jabs in songs, on social ... and through other artists. Tory was still smiling, though, in October when he was fitted for an ankle monitor and put on house arrest until the trial starts.

Jury selection has begun, and opening statements are set for next week.

Bill Cosby is facing a new lawsuit from 5 women -- most of whom were involved with "The Cosby Show" -- who claim he sexually assaulted them.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ ... the women claim the disgraced actor/comedian masqueraded as their mentor as they tried to break into show biz in the '80s and '90s, but instead he turned into a predator.

Plaintiffs Lili Bernard, Eden Tirl, Jewel Gittens, Jennifer Thompson and Cindra Ladd say Cosby was able to take advantage of them because they were young and vulnerable.

Lili guest starred as Mrs. Minifield in a 1992 'Cosby Show' episode ... and in the lawsuit, she says Cosby drugged and assaulted her several times -- including one time when she woke up during the rape to find him trying to smother her with a pillow.

According to the suit, she threatened to go to the police, and Cosby threw her down a flight of stairs and kicked her out, warning he would destroy her. She says she didn't report the alleged crimes out of fear for her life.

Eden Tirl -- who had a bit role as a cop on 'Cosby' -- alleges she was "escorted" by one of the employees on set to Cosby's dressing room, where he locked the door, grabbed her breasts, kissed her neck and pressed his penis into her back while whispering, "This is making love."

In the suit, Gittens says Cosby drugged and assaulted her at his home while they discussed a possible role for her on the show -- Thompson claims he forced her to masturbate him ... and Ladd alleges he raped her after giving her a pill for a headache that made her pass out.

As we reported, Cosby has been accused of rape by dozens of women over the years -- allegations that he denies. In 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years in a Pennsylvania prison for indecent assault -- but, he was released last year because prosecutors had violated an immunity deal Cosby had been given by a previous district attorney.

Earlier this year, he was found liable by a California jury in a civil case of sexually abusing a teenage girl in 1975.

Kim Kardashian just got some much-needed protection against a scary individual who not only showed up at her home multiple times ... but also claimed to be armed.

Kim's legal team was in court Monday when she was awarded a restraining order against Andre Persaud ... the ruling means Persaud is prohibited from contacting Kim and must stay at least 100 yards away from her. It'll last for the next 5 years.

According to legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Persaud showed up at her home at least 3 times back in August, she says she's never met the guy, and was worried he might escalate things to physical violence ... especially given the fact Persaud allegedly claimed to be armed.

If showing up at her home wasn't scary enough -- Persaud also allegedly posted about Kim on social media, and in one particular instance Kim says he, "claimed that I had been communicating with him telepathically."

The man charged for shooting Lady Gaga's dog walker last year just got a stiff punishment for the crime ... landing behind bars for decades.

James Howard Jackson was sentenced Monday to 21 years in prison in Los Angeles County -- this after accepting a plea deal from the District Attorney's Office. Jackson was one of five men hauled in by police and accused of carrying out the violent act in 2021.

A rep for the L.A. County D.A.'s office tells us Jackson pled no contest to a count of attempted murder and admitted the allegation of inflicting great bodily injury to a prior strike.

Prosecutors alleged Jackson was the one who actually fired the shot at Ryan Fischer that night in an attempt to steal Gaga's two French bulldogs.

Video obtained by TMZ showed the wild altercation -- the group literally rolled up and hopped out to attack Ryan, shooting him in the process.

Jackson was facing the most serious charges, attempted murder and 2 extra firearm counts, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and a felon carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle.

You'll recall ... he was actually temporarily released by mistake earlier this year after a clerical error by the Sheriff's Dept. Fischer told us at the time he was freaked out, and was calling on police to apprehend him swiftly.

In the end, they did ... and now, he's going away for a long time. It's unclear where things stand with the other four men connected to the case ... two others were also charged with attempted murder, while the final 2 were slapped with accessory charges, among others.

Idaho police have looked into a popular theory one of the victims had a stalker ... and while the department thinks it found the person in question, it's saying the incidents don't seem to be connected.

Moscow PD says they investigated and identified an incident from mid-October where Kaylee Goncalves told friends and family about a potential "stalker" in her life.

Cops reportedly say Kaylee went to into a local business, where 2 men were inside. The authorities believe 1 of them may have continued to follow her around the business, and as she headed back to her car -- although they don't think he made any contact with her.

Detectives say they've contacted both men, who told them they were trying to meet women at the business ... but the PD is now saying there's no evidence that points to them as being involved in the gruesome murders.

England soccer star Raheem Sterling has left the World Cup in Qatar ... after learning that intruders had broken into his family home back in the UK.

The burglary, according to Surrey Police, happened in Oxshott on Saturday night -- just hours before England was slated to play Senegal on Sunday in the round of 16 at the famed soccer tournament.

Sterling did not play in the contest, which England won, as he returned home to be with his family.

Cops said in a statement on Monday that occupants at the home had called police after noticing jewelry and watches had been taken from the residence.

"No threat of violence was involved," police said, "as the items were discovered stolen retrospectively. Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing."

It's unclear if Sterling will return to the World Cup at any point later this month. England is scheduled to play France on Saturday, with a spot in the tourney's Final Four on the line.

"Our thoughts are with him and his family," England captain Harry Kane said over the weekend. "It's a private matter but it's never easy to see one of your teammates and friends deal with something like that."

"We'll have to take it day by day. I'm sure Raheem will speak to the manager and take the best decision for him and his family. That's the most important thing. We send him our best wishes and hope to see him as soon as possible."

There's another big twist in the unsolved Idaho quadruple murder case ... a mysterious discrepancy in the way at least 2 of the victims were killed.

Steven Goncalves, the father of slain Univ. of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves, said Saturday night, the fatal attacks on Kaylee and Madison Mogen, her best friend, were mysteriously different in nature. He said on "Lawrence Jones Cross Country," ... "I'll cut to the chase. Their means of death don't match."

He wasn't specific, but did say, "Their points of damage don't match."

What's especially odd ... authorities say Kaylee and Madison were sleeping in the same bed at the time of the attack, yet according to the father the stabbings were somehow different.

Four people were stabbed to death in the house, and authorities seem stumped. They have given conflicting information about the attacks ... going back and forth on whether it was targeted and if the rest of the community was at risk.

Kaylee's mom has wondered why certain people were cleared "very fast."

It's a horrifying video ... someone is walking down an NYC street, minding his own business, when an attacker pulls a bat out of his pants and clobbers the victim in the back of the head.

It seems like this may have been a targeted attack. You see the attacker train his eyes on the victim before pulling the bat out and swinging. The attacker is clearly enraged ... screaming at the 47-year-old victim as he lay on the ground.

Before the attack, it seems the assailant -- who attempted to disguise himself with a hooded sweatshirt -- was tailing the victim.

What's more ... as the attacker sets his sights on the victim, another pedestrian appears and the attacker turns away. It seems he waits for the bystander to leave the area, and when that happens the assailant makes his move.

The attacker walks away, then comes back and begins screaming at the victim and it looks like he stomps on him, then leaves.

The victim was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital with a laceration and bruises. He's in stable condition, according to cops.

French Montana's late Coke Boys artist Chinx Drugz is still dropping new music 7 years after he was gunned down -- a fact his wife sees as a testament to the countless hours he spent recording.

Chinx's widow, Janelli Caceres-Pickens, and his former manager, Doug "Biggs" Ellison, painstakingly compiled verses, snippets and unfinished tracks to complete "CR6," his third posthumous project, and the sixth installment in the "Cocaine Riot" series.

TMZ Hip Hop spoke to Janelli about the release and she admitted it was exhausting, yet rewarding.

She also touched on the rash of rappers who've been killed at an even more alarming rate than when Chinx was murdered.

Janelli says she's been vocal about the recent string of tragedies -- such as PnB Rock and Takeoff both getting fatally shot in recent months -- and she insists it's misplaced to blame the pattern on hip hop culture.

Instead, she says it's criminals who are ruining the vibes ... although, she admits if she and Biggs weren't A&Ring "CR6," she'd be listening to R&B.

Nevertheless, Janelli is proud of the Chinx project, citing the song "Lonely" with Offset as one of her personal faves.

Survivors of the Ulvade school shooting claim the school district, law enforcement and first responders didn't act fast enough during the massacre, and now they're suing for $27 billion.

The class-action lawsuit was filed, Tuesday -- in federal court in Austin, TX -- by parents, teachers and students who say they were present the day of the shooting and are seeking damages for "the indelible and forever-lasting trauma" endured from the horrific shooting ... this according to multiple reports.

In the documents, the survivors say, "Law enforcement took seventy-seven minutes to accomplish what they were duty bound to expeditiously perform."

According to the lawsuit, the survivors claim that "[i]nstead of swiftly implementing an organized and concerted response to an active school shooter who had breached the otherwise 'secured' school buildings at Robb Elementary school, the conduct of the three hundred and seventy-six (376) law enforcement officials who were on hand for the exhaustively torturous seventy-seven minutes of law enforcement  indecision, dysfunction, and harm, fell exceedingly short of their duty bound standards."

As we've reported, 19 children and 2 teachers were gunned down on May 24 at Robb Elementary, in Uvalde, Texas.

You'll recall, video showing police retreat from the gunman sparked outrage from families and school staffed. One teacher, who lost 11 students, blames first responders for not acting fast enough.

An equestrian trainer who was seen on videos dragging a horse and appearing to make it bleed has now been charged with animal abuse, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Two clips were shared on a Facebook page last week ... with one appearing to show Ontario woman Solstice Pecile pulling a horse in a moving vehicle while on an isolated road.

In the footage, it sounds like Pecile is yelling at the horse while fiercely yanking the animal by its muzzle.

"Walk!" Pecile says in the video. "Good girl."

In the other video, which appears to be the aftermath of the pulling session, the horse seems to be bleeding from its hooves. The woman appears to have the horse's blood on her hands, and she can be heard calling the animal the R-word while seemingly chastising it.

"Awesome. Fantastic," Pecile said sarcastically in the video. "Why are you a r*****? Hmm? Why? Why? Why?"

Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police opened an investigation into the vids after they surfaced online ... and according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General, Pecile has now been charged with causing distress to an animal.

If treated as a minor offense and assuming it's her first offense, Pecile faces a $75k fine and potentially 6 months behind bars. If treated as a major offense, she faces up to $130k in fines and up to two years in prison.