New Pornographers Drummer Arrested in SoCal on Suspicion of Possessing Child Porn

The 44-year-old musician was arrested in Palm Desert in connection with two incidents at a fast-food restaurant.

Musician Joseph Seiders, the drummer for the indie-rock band The New Pornographers for more than a decade, has been arrested in Southern California on charges that include possessing child pornography, local authorities say.

According to an April 17 statement from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Seiders, 44, was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio this month after two instances of suspicious behavior were reported at a local Chick-fil-A.

The first incident occurred on April 7. Deputies with the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station responded to a call of a “suspicious circumstance” at the restaurant, located on the 73000 block of Dinah Shore Drive in Palm Desert, a city in the Coachella Valley region of Riverside County.

“Upon arrival, deputies spoke with an 11-year-old male who stated an unknown male adult recorded him on a cellphone while he was using the restroom at the location,” the statement said.

Two days later, deputies responded to a similar call at the same location. A Chick-fil-A employee told officers that a male had been seen entering and exiting the establishment’s restroom with male minors.

“Upon arrival, deputies located the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Joseph Seiders of Palm Desert, and took him into custody,” the statement said.

Armed with warrants, the Palm Desert Station Investigations Bureau searched Seiders’s Palm Desert residence, vehicle, and cellphone. The sheriff’s office stated that evidence was found that implicated Seiders in the two reported incidents as well as other crimes, including possession of child pornography.

The musician has also been charged with annoying/molesting a child, invasion of privacy, and attempted invasion of privacy.

The sheriff’s office noted that investigators believed there could be more victims and encouraged anyone with information to contact the department directly.

Following news of Seiders’s arrest, The New Pornographers took to Instagram on April 17 to issue a statement saying the rock group had “immediately severed all ties” with the drummer.

“Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated by the news of the charges against Joe Seiders,” the post reads. “Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by his actions.”

The Canadian supergroup, whose members include vocalists A. C. Newman, Neko Case, and Kathryn Calder, was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1997.

The band released its debut album, “Mass Romantic,” in 2000. Subsequent records include “Electric Version” (2003), “Twin Cinema” (2005), “Challengers” (2007), “Together” (2010), “Brill Bruisers” (2014), “Whiteout Conditions” (2017), “In the Morse Code of Brake Lights” (2019), and “Continue as a Guest” (2023).

Seiders, who replaced The New Pornographers’ previous drummer, Kurt Dahle, in mid-2014, was featured on the band’s most recent three albums.

According to online records, Seiders is being held at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, California. He is due in court on April 22.