According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, former BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist Nicholas Catanese pleaded guilty Tuesday (January 16) to sending sexually explicit messages to a 14-year-old female.
The 46-year-old musician, who was known as “The Evil Twin” because of his amazing shredding skills (a nickname that Zakk Wylde himself bestowed on the guitarist years ago), also solicited sex acts from the teenager, according to the criminal complaint.
Catanese pleaded guilty to unlawful contact, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children.
He was ordered by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Donna Jo McDaniel to serve five years of probation, register for 25 years as a Megan’s Law offender, avoid contact with minors and have no access to Internet-capable computers.
Catanese was an instructor at the School Of Rock in Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania when he began messaging the teenager via Instagram. The student told police that Catanese sent her pictures of his genitals and asked her for nude images in return.
Police said that Catanese also requested sex acts with the girl, and described what he wanted to do.
Catanese admitted to the messages and videos when interviewed by police. He was arrested on June 15, court records show.
The police were alerted to the allegations by the music school’s owner, David Blackrick.
Catanese left BLACK LABEL SOCIETY in December 2013 after playing with the group for 17 years. He told Epiphone in a December 2014 interview that he exited the band because he wanted “to do my own thing. That was Zakk‘s baby — BLACK LABEL SOCIETY — he did all the writing, the recording,” he said. “I was the live guy, so I got to tour, I got to see the world, I got to meet everybody and it put me where I am now. So there is no ‘bad’ about it. Now, I can write my own stuff. I can play for me. I was there for 17 years. You put 17 years into anything and then come and talk to me. [Laughs] I mean, it’s a long time to be in any band and I had a great time. But I was ready for a change.”
Catanese also spoke about his work with School Of Rock, saying: “I love the kids there. They got spark, they got spirit. They actually gave me my spark back, seeing these kids who love the same music I do. This one kid who’s 11 came in with a big guitar case with a KISS Army sticker on it. I was shocked. And then his friend came in who plays drums and said his influence was John Bonham. These kids — they have a whole worldview of music. They’re fun — and hysterical. Just seeing these kids play ‘Godzilla’. There was one class what was playing DEEP PURPLE‘s ‘Burn’. They’re 12-year-olds! That’s so cool to me. They brought a lot out of me. How can you not be inspired by that?”
Source: Blabbermouth.net
