Band’s manager accused of rape at House of Blues
A 33-year-old band manager from Michigan is accused of taking a woman into a small room at the House of Blues and raping her, according to court records.
Steven Welc of Grosse Point, Mich., has been charged with indecent assault on a person older than 14 and rape.
He pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Roxbury District Court, where he was held on $50,000 cash bail, according to court records.
Welc’s accuser claimed that at about 8:45 p.m. Friday, he grabbed her by the waist and took her up to the second floor to buy her a drink, Boston police said in a report.
The woman told police she repeatedly told Welc she wanted to watch the band with her sister and friends, but the “suspect then took her into a small room and shut the door.
“The victim stated that other employees kept coming in and out of the room and that the suspect continued to close the door after they left,” records state.
He then raped the woman, the report said.
Welc is manager for the reggae pop band Emblem3, which had a show at the House of Blues that night.
Welc’s attorney, Richard Sweeney, said yesterday afternoon that he was not sure if his client had posted bail, but that his family was attempting to collect the $50,000 to spring him free.
When asked how old the alleged victim is, he said she had identification showing she was 21.
Sweeney said yesterday he was still gathering facts.
“We just received the police report,” he said. “I haven’t had a chance to speak at length with my client. Until I have the facts, I really can’t comment any further.”
After the assault, the woman found her friend and later told her in the restroom what had happened, police said.
Police added, “The victim had several text messages from the suspect and photographs taken during the time of the incident, which were to be forwarded to ... detectives.”