Chase Matthew Removes Bassist Carsen Richards Following Serious Criminal Charges

Country singer Chase Matthew has removed his bassist, Carsen Richards, from his touring band after the 22-year-old musician was arrested and charged with serious child sex crimes following a Kentucky music festival performance.

Richards was taken into custody on Saturday, May 9, in Owensboro, Kentucky, shortly after Matthew's band headlined the BBQ & Barrels festival.

According to court records cited by multiple local outlets, he faces two counts of second-degree sodomy and two counts of incest involving a person under 18 and at least three years younger. He is currently being held at the Daviess County Detention Center on a $75,000 cash bond, Fox5 reported.

Officials in Clark County filed the charges, and reports say the alleged incidents are linked to events in December 2020 and December 2022. As of now, it is not clear whether Richards has entered a plea or secured legal representation.

Local reporting also notes that police began investigating after a complaint was made to Winchester authorities in late 2025. The case later moved forward after detectives gathered statements and confirmed allegations involving past incidents.

Chase Matthew Fires Bassist Carsen Richards

The arrest came just after Richards performed on stage with Matthew's band at the Kentucky festival, making the situation especially shocking for fans who attended the show.

Following the news, Chase Matthew, 28, quickly released a public statement on Instagram addressing the situation. According to People, he said he was "sick to my stomach" after learning of the allegations and made clear that Richards was no longer part of his team.

"When I first heard the allegations, I was sick to my stomach," Matthew said in his statement. "I would never associate myself with a person I think could even be remotely capable of something like this, much less hire them to be on my team." He added that the bassist was immediately removed from the band once the arrest happened.

"As a result of his arrest this past weekend, this individual was immediately removed from the band and is no longer associated with me or my team in any capacity," Matthew said.

The country artist also expressed emotional distress over the situation, saying he is "truly disturbed and disgusted by the details of these allegations." He added that his "heart breaks for anyone affected."