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A prosecutor told jurors today they would see a ``dark side'' of a rapper-actor charged with a series of sex-related crimes, while the man's attorney countered that his client was being wrongly accused after making ``false promises'' to the teens and young women. Kaalan Walker, now 26, is charged with more than a dozen counts, including forcible rape, rape by use of an intoxicating substance, sexual penetration by use of force, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and assault with intent to commit a felony, that date back as far as 2013 and involve 11 alleged victims.
In her opening statement, Deputy District Attorney Yasmin Fardghassemi told the Van Nuys jury there were more than a dozen women who didn't know each other, and the ``single thing that unites all of these woman is the defendant Kaalan Walker.'' She detailed allegations made by 10 of the teens and young women without any mention of the 11th alleged victim, along with ``strikingly similar'' allegations made by a teenager and two other women for whom no charges were filed.
``You're going to see a dark side of him ...,'' the prosecutor told jurors, saying Walker primarily used Instagram and Twitter to lure his alleged victims to locations he chose by booking them for fake photo or music video shoots or with a false promise of introducing them to someone famous. ``When they said `Stop,' he didn't care,'' Fardghassemi said. Walker's attorney, Andrew Flier, countered that his client -- whom he said had been ``portrayed as a monster'' -- is innocent of the charges.
``They're going to lie to you because they know that they fell for his B.S.,'' the defense lawyer told jurors, saying the alleged victims were out for ``revenge.'' ``The pattern of Mr. Walker is to make false promises and they bought it. ... Each one of these women voluntarily made their own decisions,'' Flier said. ``He didn't force them. ... It's pay-back to Mr. Walker and we're not going to let that happen.'' He said his client has endured ``a living nightmare'' and had a great career that has since been ruined. Walker -- who appeared in the 2018 film ``SuperFly'' -- was arrested in September 2018. He was subsequently released on bond.
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