Famed opera singer David Daniels, husband arrested for felony sex assault

[samhexum]

A world-famous opera singer, who is also a University of Michigan professor, was arrested along with his conductor husband on felony sexual assault charges for a nearly decade-old incident in Houston, police said Wednesday.

 

Opera man David Daniels and his husband, Scott Walters, were arrested separately yesterday around 1:30 p.m. and are being held at Washtenaw County Jail, Ann Arbor police confirmed to The Post.

 

The couple, who were wed by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2014, face extradition to Texas where they’re accused of raping opera singer Samuel Schultz in May 2010 when Schultz was 23 and pursuing his master’s degree, according to the Houston Police Department and astatement on Schultz’s website.

 

Schultz reported the crime to Houston police in July 2018 and the department presented charges to the Harris County District Attorney yesterday, which accepted the charges on the same day, the department said.

 

The charging documents remain sealed and an extradition hearing is yet to be determined.

 

Schultz told The Post he was alerted by the Houston Police Department of the couple’s arrest but declined further comment. He wrote about the incident on his website shortly after his claims were publicized last year, writing the rape was “life-altering” and “devastating.”

 

“Yes, men are raped. I did not know that the word ‘rape’ applied to what happened to me until I lethargically went to tell a friend, and told her through tears and emptiness, what happened to me,” Schultz wrote of the incident on his website.

 

“In fact, I was so naïve that I didn’t know that I should have gone to the hospital or even what a ‘rape kit’ is. We must do better in educating each person about the realities and tragedy of rape.”

 

He wrote he came forward with his story to encourage others to publicize their assault in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

 

Schultz’s allegation isn’t the first time Daniels, a renowned countertenor, has been accused of sexual misconduct.

 

He’s named in a federal civil lawsuit by former UM student Andrew Lipian on “quid pro quo sexual harassment” allegations, court papers show. Lipian claims he was invited to Daniels’ apartment in March 2017 to watch “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” because Daniels was “lonely,” records show. Lipian alleges Daniels gave him “several drinks of bourbon” and tricked him into taking Ambien that Lipian mistook for Tylenol PM, court papers say.

 

Daniels then removed Lipian’s clothes and “forced himself upon” Lipian and “groped and touched his genitals and face.”

 

Daniels called Lipian’s claims “fake and malicious,” according to MLive.com.

 

Matt Hennessy, a Houston-based criminal attorney representing Daniels and Walters, said the couple plans to fight Schultz’s allegations.

 

“David and Scott are innocent of any wrongdoing. Sam Schultz is not a victim. He never would have gotten this much attention from his singing, and he knows and resents that fact,” Hennessy wrote in a statement.

 

“He waited eight years to complain about adult, consensual sex to ride the MeToo movement to unearned celebrity. We will fight this.”

THEY'RE ALREADY WEARING PRISON ORANGE

 

THEM IN A FEW YEARS...

[Whitman]

Matt Hennessy, a Houston-based criminal attorney representing Daniels and Walters, said the couple plans to fight Schultz’s allegations. “David and Scott are innocent of any wrongdoing. Sam Schultz is not a victim. He never would have gotten this much attention from his singing, and he knows and resents that fact.

It always strikes me as a bad move for an accused rapist to imply that he is GREATER THAN his alleged victim.

 

Are we supposed to be persuaded that Samuel Schultz was probably HAPPY to be mauled by a BETTER singer (with an uncanny resemblance to Harvey Weinstein)?

 

Or that this publicity will advance Schultz's career because opera companies are always looking to hire victims of sexual assault?

Edited January 31, 2019 by Whitman

[+ nycman]

From his website.....

 

"Mr. Schultz is an alumnus of the United States Senate Page Program "

 

So maybe this wasn't his first "trip to the rodeo".......

[+ E.T.Bass]

Mr. Schultz is an alumnus of the United States Senate Page Program and had the prestigious honor of singing for the United States Congress. He received advanced degrees in voice performance from The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

 

He is the 2nd to come forward about these two, so that does't look good for David Daniels and husband.

 

Just ask Kevin Spacey, Bill Cosby, Brian Singer, Harvey Weinstein, Steve Wynn, Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, Louis C.K. Les Moonvees, etc.