Joe Seiders, the drummer for the New Pornographers, has been arrested for possession of child pornography. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Seiders was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on April 9 and charged with possession of child pornography, annoying/molesting a child, invasion of privacy, and attempted invasion of privacy.

The New Pornographers have issued a statement on their Instagram account, which reads: “Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated by the news of the charges against Joe Seiders — and we have immediately severed all ties with him. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by his actions.”

The news release explains that police officers responded to “a suspicious circumstance” at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Palm Desert, California, on Monday, April 7. When they arrived, an 11-year-old boy told deputies that “an unknown male adult recorded him on a cell phone while he was using the restroom at the location.” On April 9, police responded to an incident at the same location, where an employee told the officers that “a male was entering and exiting the restroom with juvenile males at the business.” The man was identified as 44-year-old Seiders and taken into custody.

Upon Seiders’ arrest, officials searched his home, vehicle, and cell phone and found evidence implicating him in the Chick-Fil-A bathroom incidents and further crimes, including possession of child pornography. Seiders is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail and is due to appear at the Indio Larson Justice Center on April 22.

Joe Seiders joined the New Pornographer in 2014, replacing longtime drummer Kurt Dahle. He played on three of the band’s albums: 2017’s Whiteout Conditions, 2019’s In the Morse Code of Brake Lights, 2023’s Continue as a Guest.