Lovin’ Spoonful Member Arrested On Child Porn Charges

Longtime keyboardist for Lovin’ Spoonful, Jerry Yester, was arrested on child pornography charges in Arkansas Oct. 5.

Yester, 74, who joined the group in 1967, was charged with 30 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing explicit pornographic material involving children – a Class C felony, according to The Oklahoman. He was arrested by the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office.

Boone County Sheriff – Jerry Yester

Special agents began investigating Yester after agents determined someone was using a computer at the keyboardist’s address to download the explicit material, the paper said, and the file will be turned over to the 14th Judicial District Prosecutor David Ethredge.

Yester began his career with The New Christy Minstrels, then the Modern Folk Quartet. He worked with acts as an artist and a producer, along with his wife, Judy Henske, with acts like The Association and The Turtles before joining Lovin’ Spoonful, replacing Zal Yanovsky.

The Spoonful split in 1968 and did not reunite for 23 years. He has also worked with Pat Boone, Aztec Two Step and Tom Waits as an album producer/arranger.

He was released on $35,000 bond. – Joe Reinartz