Backstreet Boys singer gets community service for bar brawl

Miami, Mar 29: Nick Carter, a singer with the the 1990s heartthrob band Backstreet Boys, has agreed to 25 hours' community service for his role in a bar room brawl, US media reported today.

Carter, 35, was due to stand trial on Monday on a misdemeanor battery charge for his role in the January melee, but he reached a deal with prosecutors to drop the charges in exchange for the community service and payment of about USD 300 in court costs.

The Miami Herald wrote that Carter is alleged to have struck and choked the bartender during the fight at the Hog's Breath Saloon in Key West, Florida. Carter allegedly became aggressive after the bartender refused to serve him and a friend, who were already inebriated when they arrived at the establishment.

The bartender, Skylar Carden, reportedly has also filed a civil complaint seeking damages for "pain and suffering" after sustaining injuries in the attack. The Backstreet Boys achieved international fame in the 1990s with songs like "I Want It That Way," "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely."

Carter also appeared last year on the hit US television show "Dancing with the Stars."

AFP