BTO’s Tim Bachman Arrested on Sexual Assault Charges

The last news item we reported on here that had anything to do with 1970’s hit makers Bachman-Turner Overdrive was a result of the public battle between the members of the group who were at odds over the use of the band’s name. Both Randy Bachman and Fred Turner appeared to be putting an act together and had hoped to use the BTO name.

Randy’s brother Rob, former BTO drummer, and former BTO guitarist Blair Thornton teamed up to stop Randy Bachman and Fred Turner from using the BTO name. The effort apparently was successful, since Randy and Fred are now billing themselves simply as Bachman & Turner.

Although Bachman brother Tim, another former BTO guitarist seemed to have kept clear of the dispute regarding the use of the name, he’s now facing much more serious trouble after his arrest by Abbotsford (British Columbia) police after charges were leveled against him by a woman who says Bachman sexually molested her when she was 11-years-old. The assaults allegedly continued until the unidentified woman was 14 years old.

Now a real estate agent, Bachman turned himself in to Abbotsford police on May 12 – six days after a warrant was issued for his arrest. The 58-year-old former rocker has since been released and is scheduled to appear in court on July 5th.

The formal charges against Tim Bachman are “sexual interference with a person under the age of 14, sexual assault and touching a young person for a sexual purpose.”

Public reaction is usually quite sharply divided when news like this is released, and this case is reminiscent of the controversy that erupted when the remaining members of The Who were selected to perform during the Super Bowl earlier this year.

Guitarist Pete Townshend was the focus of an investigation regarding child pornography in 2003, but the outcome was not conclusive, although Townshend was issued a “caution” and was listed on the U.K.’s Violent and Sex Offender Register for five years.

Bachman Turner-Overdrive enjoyed widespread notoriety during the 1970’s with hits like “Let It Ride,” “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” and “Takin’ Care of Business,” tracks that are still played on classic rock radio stations today.

Bachman & Turner are planning to tour this summer and release a new album in September.