A prominent drummer, composer and music teacher in North Carolina is accused of forcing an adult student into sexual servitude and was arrested at his Clayton home this week. Ivan Hampden Jr. has been charged with five counts of sexual servitude and seven counts of disseminating obscene images.
According to Winston-Salem Journal, Hampden has worked with R&B artist #LutherVandross, and owns and operates the Hamptown Music Institute. He reportedly told town officials that he was recognized for his participation on two Grammy Award-winning songs, but a spokesperson for the #GrammyAwards said Hampden had no association with any Grammy Awards.
The now 58-year-old woman said she started taking singing lessons from Hampden in 2014 and during those lessons, Hampden would allegedly tie her up in the back room of his school. She reportedly complied with his orders in hopes of the dreams he sold her coming true.
Police Chief Blair Myhand said, “He promised her something of value … in exchange for the sex, and that was that he would provide her music and songs into the music industry and therefore she would become famous.” He would also allegedly film various sex acts of himself with the victim and send the recordings to her electronically.
The alleged victim stopped taking lessons in August, and since coming forward, authorities have recovered hard drives and additional evidence during two related search warrants that support the alleged victim’s claims. Hampden is being held on a $200,000 bond in the Johnston County Detention Center in Smithfield.
