THE BEAST

MANOWAR has released a short statement regarding the arrest of guitarist Karl Logan on charges of possessing child pornography.

The band wrote: "With regard to Karl Logan's arrest and the charges against him: Due to the fact that Karl and his attorneys are dealing with these issues, he will not perform with MANOWAR. The new album and upcoming tour will not be affected."

Logan, 53, was arrested on August 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina and charged with six counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor.

The arrest was made by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is the investigating agency.

A spokesperson for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department told Billboard that the arrest information likely came to light this week because of a reporter's inquiry into the case.

Under N.C. General Statute §14-190.17A, "a person commits the offense of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor if, knowing the character or content of the material, he possesses material that contains a visual representation of a minor engaging in sexual activity."

A spokesperson for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office told The Blast that a warrant was issued back in August for the guitarist's arrest and he was booked into the local jail.

Logan's bail was set at $35,000 and he has since bonded out.

Karl joined MANOWAR in 1994 as the replacement for David Shankle.

Prior to hooking up with MANOWAR, Logan played several bands in northeastern Pennsylvania, including ARC ANGEL and FALLEN ANGEL.

MANOWAR is in the middle of its "The Final Battle" farewell world tour, although it doesn't have any dates scheduled until February 2019. Via Blabbermouth