CONTENT WARNING: This article contains discussion of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
Ben Preece, owner and Director of Brisbane-based music company Mucho Bravado and former contributor to this website until 2016, has issued a statement regarding allegations of sexual misconduct.
Preece released a statement on his personal Facebook page on Friday about allegations made against him - which has since been shared on the artist management and PR company's socials - saying that "recent revelations about inappropriate men in the music industry", which musician Jaguar Jonze posted about last week, led to his "beyond overdue" response.
"To all the young women who I’ve hurt in the past — I’m sorry," the statement reads.
"Your awful experience with me isn’t imagined, it is real, it wasn’t your fault and there are no more ifs, buts or maybes. I’m sorry for disrespecting you, for degrading, hurting, belittling and sexualising you while you were in pursuit of your dreams and passion in the music industry.
"Your experience would have been inappropriate comments from me, poor retaliation, creepy behaviour and then, more than likely, it was a shitty, disrespectful message that was manipulative and usually after rejection.
"I understand the conversations this note will spark and I'm prepared to have them. I understand its brevity isn't good enough or near enough to alleviate the hurt and trauma I've caused - it's only skimming the surface of a much larger conversation I've been having and I'm prepared to continue and hear."
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
On the Mucho Bravado Facebook page, Preece added that in late 2018 he closed the office and has not had any staff or interns work with him since, but does still work "with a small roster".