Music executive accused of drugging, sexually assaulting 2 women at Joshua Tree home

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Thursday, August 1, 2024
Music exec accused of sexually assaulting 2 women in Joshua Tree
A music executive is facing accusations he drugged and sexually assaulted two women at his iconic Joshua Tree home.

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. (KABC) -- A music executive is facing accusations he drugged and sexually assaulted two women at his iconic Joshua Tree home.

Singer-songwriter Jamie Lee-Dimes and artist Courtney Barriger are suing music executive Scott Leonard. Leonard has not been charged with a crime.

The alleged assaults happened at Leonard's home known as the Kellogg Doolittle house, a landmark home famous for its "organic architecture" design.

Dimes claims she was drugged and assaulted by Leonard in 2022 after she accepted an invitation to talk about her career at his home.

"This incident took away my dreams, the light behind my eyes, and my spirit, and for myself and other artists seeking to navigate the perils of this industry I won't stay quiet any longer," Dimes said in a statement.

Barriger claims Leonard did something similar to her in 2021 - inviting her over to the house and then allegedly drugging and assaulting her.

"Today, I am taking a stand to pursue justice against Scott Leonard, driven by a profound sense of social responsibility to hold this man accountable for his predatory behavior," Barriger said in a statement.

Nick Rowley, an attorney who represents Dimes and Barriger, says both women filed police reports with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. However, Rowley says those reports were lost.

"He's managed to escape criminal liability because the San Bernardino County sheriff's lost their records because their system was hacked, and that's why we have the civil justice system - is to hold them accountable civilly," Rowley said.

Eyewitness News reviewed a newly filed police report submitted this year to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

"This is a pattern of conduct. The way he lured these women in and what he did - it's the same," Rowley said. "He put drugs in both of their drinks, so if he's done it twice, I'm confident he's done it more."

Eyewitness News also reached out to Leonard for comment and has not received a response.

Separately, Leonard is also facing criminal charges for a deadly fire in 2022 at a Hollywood recording studio he owned. The charges he faces are related to the safety of the building.

Nathan Edwards, 26, died in the fire and Ozzy Osbourne's daughter, Aimee, was injured.