Authorities say “American Idol” finalist Laine Hardy was detained on Friday for allegedly installing a listening device in his ex-girlfriend’s dorm room in Louisiana. He was arrested and put into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison after surrendering to the LSU Police Department. Hardy is not a pupil at the institution.
A university official said Hardy, 21, is charged with felony interception and disclosure of wire, electronic, or spoken communication.
The Louisiana native responded to the accusation on social media on Thursday.
“I understand that my career has thrust me into the public spotlight, and I embrace that wholeheartedly,” he stated. “My entire world belongs to my music and my fans.”
“However, due to the sensitive nature of this allegation, I humbly ask for privacy at this time. I have the utmost respect for the law and will assist in their investigation as needed moving forward.”
A woman and her roommate discovered a recording device inside their dorm room on April 6, according to the arrest warrant. They informed LSU police the next day about their discovery. According to the warrant, the woman informed officers she discovered the gadget, which seemed to be a phone charger, under her couch.
She told officers she thought her ex-boyfriend, Hardy, had planted the device in her room earlier since he seemed to know facts about her life that she hadn’t informed him about. According to the request, police eventually discovered evidence of hidden recordings made over a 10-day period in February.
“The victim advised she immediately confronted him, to which he admitted to her that he left a ‘bug’ in her room but discarded it in his pond,” a police officer said.
C. Frank Holthaus, Hardy’s attorney, told USA Today that Hardy “has been and will continue to be completely cooperative.”
If convicted, the season 17 “American Idol” winner faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
