Reggae veteran Ripton Hylton, otherwise called Eek-A-Mouse was allegedly arrested on charges of kidnapping, rape and possession of cocaine and marijuana in North Carolina, USA.

The artiste was arrested on Sunday August 17 at 4 a.m. in Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina. When the STAR contacted Detective MK Moye of the Kill Devil Hill police department, the officer who arrested Mouse, he explained that the artiste, who he described as a 'nice man', was charged with first degree kidnapping of a female, second degree rape and possession of cocaine and marijuana.

Moye said he could not give further details on the arrest as the case was currently under investigation. Moye however stated that Eek-A-Mouse's bond was set at US$52,000 and he was being held at the Dare County Detention Center in North Carolina.

The last time Moye spoke to Eek-A-Mouse was on Monday morning. At the time of the interview yesterday, Moye said he was unsure whether Eek-A-Mouse had made bail.

Moye, also told the STAR that Eek-A-Mouse would have to return to North Carolina to appear for his trial.

When the STAR contacted the Dare County Detention Center, a sergeant there could not give information on the case. She said only the captain or major could disclose any information and they were absent at the time. She however revealed that Eek-A-Mouse was bonded out and was no longer detained at the facility.

A popular entertainment website, quoted Lt Gene Johnson of the Kill Devil Hill police department, as saying the singer allegedly kidnapped a 23-year-old woman, holding her against her will at an Outer Banks motel. Moye confirmed that the alleged victim was, in fact, a woman.

Eek-A-Mouse, known for his signature squeaky voice, rose to fame in Jamaica in 1980 with the hit single Wha Do Dem. That was followed by Modelling Queen, another hit single which appeared on his first album Bubble Up Yu Hip. Eek-A-Mouse ruled on the music scene for the next couple of years and toured extensively throughout the early 1990s.

He made a brief reappearance on the scene when he collaborated with Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley for the song Khaki Suit. The artiste has a home in Jamaica, but is also based in the United States and travels extensively. Efforts to contact Eek-A-Mouse proved futile up to press time.