Billy Currington Elderly Abuse Charges Stem From Boating Argument

Billy Currington is facing charges of making "terroristic threats" against a fellow Georgia resident, reports the Athens Banner-Herald. Details are few and far between at this time, but the newspaper claims the country singer was indicted by the Chatham County Grand Jury today (April 24) for allegedly inflicting mental anguish on Charles Harvey Ferrelle.

The accuser is over the age of 65, thus Currington faces an additional charge of elderly abuse.

Local news station WSAV further reports that the incident happened April 15 in the waters off Tybee Island, a coastal town in Georgia. Police tell the news station that Currington and Ferrelle had a verbal argument at a dock owned by the singer. After Farrelle reportedly moved to a nearby dock, Currington boarded his boat and followed, shortly after which police became involved. No one was arrested.

Currington himself is a survivor of child abuse. Back in 2007, he took a break from touring to attend intense therapy sessions to deal with the lasting effects of more than a decade of physical and mental abuse at the hands of his stepfather. The Grammy-nominated country star has admitted that his rough childhood led to anger issues in his adult years. His 2003 hit 'Walk a Little Straighter' chronicles his pain of living with an alcoholic stepfather.

The Boot has reached out to Currington's reps for comments on the matter and will make those available if provided. But a statement is unlikely, as the singer himself posted on Twitter Wednesday, "hey guys, I wanted to thank everyone for the huge amount of support that I have received already. Unfortunately, I can't comment on this situation as this is an ongoing legal matter. It means a lot to me to have your support during this time."

Currington is putting the finishing touches on his fifth studio album, his first since 2010's critically acclaimed 'Enjoy Yourself.' The first single from the upcoming project is 'Hey Girl,' which was released to radio in March.