Emarosa vocalist Bradley Walden addresses allegations

"I'd like to start this message getting straight to the point: with an apology. I have not always been the best person. I've had times where I've been selfish and my own goals took priorty over those I care about most. To be blunt, I've been an asshole — to acquaintances, to friends, to business partners and to lovers. So, before this letter goes further, I want to say that I am very sorry to those who feel I've wronged them. Your feelings are not only justified, your opinions of me are probably spot on. I'm sorry. "I've never done this before so please bear with me while I try and navigate my thoughts. "Many years ago, during a trying time in my life that involved profound loss, I was emotionally unfaithful to my fiance. It is, has been, and will always be my biggest regret. If you follow our music, you probably know this story, but not the underlying detail of this dark period in my life. I had a relationship with a woman that was strictly based on texting and social media communications. I should have never allowed communications with this individual to escalate to a place like it did. It was a mistake that hurt both my fiance and this woman, which I take full responsibility for. Selfishly, I tried to keep this a secret from my fiance. I took advantage of both her love and the trust she placed in my, actions which I was held accountable for a very long time ago. "A few months ago, this woman created another anonymous Twitter account to renew her claims that I am a 'pedophile' and that I 'groomed' her. Due to the delicate nature of the allegation, I was advised by counsel not to make a statement until I was able to go through the proper channels and process this information. There is no playbook here, but everyone on our team takes this situation extremely seriously. "I have made many mistakes in my life, but the accusations leveled by this woman are just patently false: I am not a 'pedophile', nor did I 'groom' this woman in any manner whatsoever. I ended communications with this individual many years ago, which was followed by 5 years of her making anonymous social media accounts to attack my character and reach out to various individuals in my life, personally and professionally. I do not for a second discount the fact that this person is hurting. If she feels I played a role in her pain, I accept that and want her to know that I am sincerely sorry. "I have no doubt that this woman's pain is real because, like most people in my life, she certainly was not immune to my tendency of being a selfish asshole. However, being a selfish asshole is a long way from being a 'pedophile' or a 'groomer'. Accusations being levied by this woman are extremely serious and should be directed toward the proper authorities and investigated thoroughly, not callously thrown around on Twitter. Immediately directing accusations like this to the police not only force predators to be held accountable, but also protect victims and potential victims from the threats those predators possess. Anonymously attacking someone's character, using serious terminology like 'pedophilia' and 'grooming' without involving the authorities first is completely counterintuitive when it comes to helping curtail the rise of sexual misconduct in our culture. If anyone feels they are a victim of sedual misconduct, including this woman, I implore you to immediately go to the authorities. "My Arizona legal counsel has been fully engaged since the accusations were made and I will continue to work through them to pursue all legal remedies. Next week our team will begin taking action against this woman for the unlawful and defamatory attacks she has publicly levied against me. We are united in our goal to not only hold this specific woman accountable for her actions, but also to protect the many victims to sexual misconduct, especially pedophilia, whose important voices are diluted and real-life nightmares are trivialized every time knowingly fictitious stories like this are sent to social media instead of the proper authorities. "If you think you are a victim, call the authorities. It is the best way to protect yourself, others and hold predators accountable. "This has been an extremely difficult time for all parties involved. I'd like to thank everyone for the tremendous outreach you've sent my way — the text messages, phone calls, and emails have lifted me up and allowed me the opportunity to have this teaching moment. Your support has been paramount in this process. "We should all be able to hold those accountable who we feel are not being their best selves. I am certainly no exception to the mantra that we can all do better. I understand that I could have been a better man and friend to a lot of people, including this woman, and I'm sorry for that. I've been selfish and I've been hurtful — I'm human. Each day is a new opportunity to grow and be a better version of oneself than they were yesterday. I will continue to channel my energy on doing just that and I look forward to the opportunity that tomorrow brings in that pursuit."