Simmons explains police raid

Kiss star Gene Simmons has explained the police raid that took place at his home last month.

Los Angeles officers from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force spent several hours searching the residence, while reporting that none of the family were under suspicion.

Now Simmons tells News.com.au: “We came back from hiking and there was a crack task force, and they asked for permission to search our home. We said, ‘Sure, why not?’

“They came in and searched all over the place, then two or three hours later we all sat down.

“What happened was, we were off on tour about a year ago, and somehow our connection was used by some very bad people to do porn of a certain kind – the worst kind.”

He says the police were able to verify that, while the alleged offences were committed, Simmons was on the other side of the US, his children were in Canada and his wife Shannon was out of the country. They further verified that it wasn’t possible to commit the suspected offences from a remote location.

Simmons adds: “They’re on the trail – and we’re actually helping the FBI and the cops track down the bad guy.”

He’s not certain whether the suspects broke into his home, and neither are the police. “You can be right outside somebody’s home, and if you have the information you can do stuff on the street,” he says.

And although he admits he’s “the last person” to ask about the web, wifi and networks, he says: “The FBI came and helped us put in a firewall – whatever the hell that is.”

At the time of the raid, Shannon tweeted: “We couldn’t be more horrified that someone used our residence for such heinous crimes” and added: “Goodnight, and don’t forget to change your passwords.”

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.