Shane Sparks, whose real name is Melvin Sparks, became a force in the choreography industry following his work on the movie, You Got Served. His work on FOX' So You Think You Can Dance as a hip-hop choreographer garnered him an Emmy nomination and led to a judging job on MTV's dance show, America's Best Dance Crew. In 1994, a woman alleges he began molesting her when she was only 15 years old. Police arrested him Friday night on eight counts of felony child molestation.
Police say Sparks has been the focus of an ongoing investigation instigated by the woman's allegations. Now an adult, the unidentified (and alleged) victim claims the abuse went on for several years. Police say their investigation spans several years, as well. Sparks' representative was out of town and could not be contacted for comment.
Shane Sparks is the second So You Think You Can Dance choreographer to be arrested for sex crimes; Alex Da Silva was arrested in August on charges that he raped four of his dance students.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
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Representatives for Sparks said they would fight the accusations vigorously and claim the "timing is suspicious." According to a spokesperson for Sparks, who posted bail Saturday night, the alleged "victim" who prompted all eight felony counts is an extortionist.
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