On Thursday, June 19, The Roys Report (TRR) released information alleging that in 2014 former DC Talk member and Newsboys frontman Michael Tait drugged a woman and watched her get raped by a Newsboys lighting technician.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of alleged sexual assault that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.
On Jan. 16, Michael Tait abruptly announced that he was leaving Newsboys. Since then, he has been accused of grooming, sexually assaulting, and drugging young men—including minors.
TRR provided hotel surveillance footage, a police report, and multiple testimonials from witnesses.
A woman who chose to be referred to as “Nicole” was a 23-year-old who worked for evangelist Nick Hall’s Pulse Evangelism on Dec. 16, 2014, the night she claims she was raped by Newsboys lighting technician Matt Brewer.
The first time Nicole met Tait, the band, or the Newsboys crew was during a Pulse-sponsored Christmas tour that featured Newsboys, Hall, and Moriah Peters.
Tait, some of the Newsboys crew, two members of Peters’ band (Jesi Jones and Elizabeth Chan), and Nicole stayed at a Ramada Inn and Suites in between shows. Current Newsboys band members Adam Agee, Duncan Phillips, Jody Davis, and Jeff Frankenstein were not present during the alleged incident.
Nicole Doesn’t ‘Fully Remember’ What Happen to Her After Drinking a Shot From Michael Tait
Jesi Jones described Nicole as someone who didn’t drink or hook up with people. “It is my belief that [drinking and hooking up] was completely out of character for her and was definitely not her intent,” Jones said.
The night started with Nicole meeting Jones and Chan for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. According to TRR, Nicole had planned to eat and then go to bed because she wasn’t feeling well.
Newsboys crew members, who included Jack Campbell (guitar tech and second cousin to Newsboys’ owner Wes Campbell), Steve Campbell (tour manager and Wes Campbell’s younger brother), and Zech Germenis (lighting apprentice) entered the bar area to get drinks. They were later joined by Tait and John Burch (a Newsboys merchandise person).
