Photo Credit: Ralph Arvesen / CC by 3.0
More details about the revenge porn case of ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson have emerged.
Ellefson admitted to Scottsdale police that he had been sexting with a Dutch teenager who captured video of their encounters without his consent. Rolling Stone obtained a copy of the police report to verify the information. According to that report, the teenager shared the clips with friends. They eventually surfaced online with accusations that the bassist was grooming fans.
The Scottsdale Police Department has confirmed they are investigating the incident. Ellefson’s partner’s age has been confirmed to be 19. David Ellefson is also pursuing revenge porn charges against the person who leaked the video online – not his sexual partner.
Revenge porn is illegal in Arizona, so Ellefson may have success in pursuing his legal case. Arizona makes it a crime to disclose an explicit image of another person without their consent. But it also has laws that prohibit photography or recording of another without their consent and taken under circumstances where the person “had a reasonable expectation of privacy.”
Ellefson took a polygraph test to affirm his claims with the police. He also presented a photo of her driver’s license to prove the fan was of age. He shared screenshots of his Snapchat and WhatsApp conversations with her with police as well. Megadeth responded by firing David Ellefson as bassist in late May.
“While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward,” frontman Dave Mustaine said in a statement at the time. Ellefson sat for the polygraph test the same day Mustaine’s announcement was posted to social media.
Ellefson told police he first met the woman while signing autographs in 2019 in Holland. They struck up a friendship that continued via social media, the police report confirms. Ellefson later met the woman again in February 2020. He stated there was no physical contact, just conversations (at that time.) Ellefson says the conversations turned sexual over social media in July or August that year.
“He stated they had about four to five masturbating encounters,” according to the police report. “The last sexual encounter was around February 2021. Ellefson’s partner admitted to Mr. Ellefson that she had recorded two or three videos of him masturbating without his consent or knowledge.”
Ellefson claims he told Megadeth’s band management about the issue. The person who leaked the video called him a pedophile. Ellefson says management responded that he had previously harassed other band members. Ellefson says he was advised to “sit tight’ because management would have their lawyer team investigate it. The allegations went viral after an Instagram user posted a video of Ellefson masturbating alone.
Perhaps depravity should be avoided?
Good grief—is the world really this nasty?
So, let me get this straight – she was 19 and filmed him, while he touched himself. And how on earth is he the problem?
Does a ‘rock star’ bass player REALLY need to have cameras involved?
Can’t he just meet chicks, have a toss and move on? You know like the good old days…..
If one is chatting on ANY platform. ASSUME you are being taped and ONLY do things you don’t care if the public sees….or keep it in the holster….
Yeah, he should’ve just met and done her, or she send pics and video to him I guess. I don’t get this story though, and it’s got old man written all over it. Only an old guy not thinking would have a live camera on him while jacking. I know I wouldn’t. For the band to fire him seems beyond extreme, but Megadeth was always overrated to me anyways.