Ryan Adams "cleared" of sexting underage fan following FBI investigation

US singer-songwriter Ryan Adams has reportedly been cleared of sending sexual messages to an underage fan after he underwent an FBI investigation.

The investigation was sparked by a New York Times report in February 2019 which accused him of being “manipulative, obsessive and controlling”, with seven women coming forward with allegations against him.

They included Adams’ ex-wife Mandy Moore, Phoebe Bridgers and a fan who alleged that she swapped sexual messages with Adams when she was underage.

Initial reports suggested that the allegations had resulted in an investigation from the FBI’s Crimes Against Children Squad, who tried to contact the fan to gather some of the 3000 messages she and Adams had allegedly exchanged.

Page Six now reports that the FBI has found no evidence - or not enough evidence - to support charging Adams.

Adams was accused of speaking to the fan when she was just 14-years-old.

The New York Times claims that the pair first bonded over music, before Adams sent over 3000 texts to the fan over a nine-month period – including explicit images of himself.

A representative for Adams denied the allegations, stating: “Mr Adams unequivocally denies that he ever engaged in inappropriate online sexual communications with someone he knew was underage.

“If, in fact, this woman was underage, Mr Adams was unaware.”

In a letter penned to The Daily Mail back in July, Adams apologised for how he has “mistreated people” and claimed he is seeking professional help following the allegations after a period of “isolation”.

“All I can say is that I’m sorry. It’s that simple,” said Adams. “This period of isolation and reflection made me realise that I needed to make significant changes in my life.

“I’ve gotten past the point where I would be apologising just for the sake of being let off the hook and I know full well that any apology from me probably won’t be accepted by those I’ve hurt. I get that and I also understand that there’s no going back.

“To a lot of people this will just seem like the same empty bullshit apology that I’ve always used when I was called out, and all I can say is, this time it is different. Having truly realised the harm that I’ve caused, it wrecked me, and I’m still reeling from the ripples of devastating effects that my actions triggered.”

Adams released his first album in the aftermath of the scandal in December 2020.

Photo image credit: Dan Hallman.