Ex-Mellencamp Pianist on 'Most Wanted' List

December 27 -- Rock musician Eric Franklin Rosser, once a piano player in John Mellencamp's band, was placed on the FBI's notorious "10 Most Wanted Fugitives" list today.

Rosser, 48, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Indianapolis last March on six felony counts of sexual exploitation of children but has since disappeared. He was last seen in Thailand, where he is facing similar charges.

"Eric Franklin Rosser played in my band in 1979 for a very brief period of time," Mellencamp said in a written statement. "I have not seen or spoken to him since."

His piano work appears on Mellencamp's 1980 album, Nothin' Matters and What If It Did. In the years after, he ran a music school for children in Bangkok, Thailand, though he often returned to the United States to perform, according to law enforcement officials.

U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said it was the first time an individual accused of child pornography offenses has been placed on the the bureau's most wanted list.

"Federal law enforcement places great priority on the fight against child pornography," Reno told a news conference, adding that his inclusion on the list "will go a long way in our effort to apprehend a man allegedly responsible for perpetuating this crime."

The FBI's infamous list also includes Osama bin Laden, who allegedly masterminded the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998, and Eric Rudolph, charged in connection with a bombing during the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta.

If apprehended, Rosser could face 15 years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of the four counts of the indictment alleging conspiracy, transportation, and distribution of child pornography, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Indianapolis.

The two counts of production of child pornography carry a possible sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Royal Thai Police and the FBI searched Rosser's school and home in Thailand on Feb. 9 and took him into custody, charging him with possession and production of child pornography, as well as the molestation of a female child relative in Thailand. He was then released on bail.