A Keith Urban concert near Boston has achieved a new level of dangerous notoriety.
An 18-year-old Boston man has been charged with raping a 17-year-old girl at the show, while onlookers allegedly videotaped and photographed the act with their cellphones. The same concert — held at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Mass. on July 26 — also saw 50 others arrested and 22 sent to local hospitals, while 46 patrons received medical attention for "alcohol-related illnesses."
The Sun Chronicle reports a woman was witness to the event, and asked the teen if the sex with Sean Murphy was consensual. When the 17-year-old said she did not consent, the witness reportedly tried to pull the suspect off of her, and soon, an off-duty police officer intervened.
In their statement, Mansfield Police write the suspect then tried to flee into the crowd, and confirm both Murphy and the teenage girl were drinking at the time of the incident.
The girl was reportedly attending the concert with friends, when Murphy allegedly grabbed her hand, and moved her to a different section of the outdoor amphitheatre. According to Assistant District Attorney Melissa Tafe, she went with the suspect because "she was afraid of what would happen" if she did not follow his lead. The Chronicle's account also includes details about how the two had not met prior to the concert, started kissing and later, began to have sex on the lawn.
Murphy claims the event was consensual, and in his account to the police, he "stressed he did not force himself on her."
The 18-year-old lives with his parents, and is being held on $10,000 cash bail. He has no prior arrest record.
Urban, who performed for 18,000 fans that night as part of his Raise 'Em Up tour, has yet to comment on the incident, or the concert, which has been called a "mass casualty incident."
In an earlier article, politician George Dentin told the Sun Chronicle the night's affairs and problems stemmed from inadequate event security and policing.
"They were totally outnumbered," said Dentin. "It was a real party atmosphere."
Also on HuffPost
