Disney’s director of music publishing, Jon Heely, was suspended on Friday after being charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child. Heely is accused of abusing two girls — one who was 15 at the time and other who says the abuse started at age 11 and continued until she was 15. These events are said to have taken place about a decade ago. A Disney spokesperson told Variety, “Immediately upon learning of this situation tonight, he has been suspended without pay until the matter is resolved by the courts.” The site also reports that Heely was originally arrested on November 16th but released on $150,000 bail. On Thursday, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. A lawyer for Heely said of his client, “He vehemently denies these allegations and we will be fighting until the end to clear his name. It’s a shame, that’s all I’ve got to say.”
According to Variety, Heely has been with Disney since 1981. He currently oversees licensing for the Disney film catalog and has produced concert events such as Fantasia Live in Concert. If convicted, Heely faces more than nine years in prison.