Neutral Milk Hotel’s Julian Koster granted protection order against grooming accuser
Neutral Milk Hotel’s Julian Koster was granted a protection-from-abuse order against the woman who previously accused him of grooming her.
The bassist had filed for the order less than a year after Anna ‘Nesey’ Gallons publicly accused Koster in 2024 of grooming her when she was a teenager.
At the time, Koster wrote online that he had been “the victim of intimidation, manipulation, and abuse by Nesey Gallons for many years.”
The new ruling brings to a close the legal battle, which reportedly reached 11 different protection cases in Penobscot County. Koster filed for the protection order in March 2025 in Penobscot County, the home place of Gallons and her partner.
According to Bangor Daily News, Gallons has now been deemed a “credible threat” to the 53-year-old musician, whom she was found to have abused under Maine law.
The order is in effect until February 26th, 2028; until then, Gallons must not have any contact with Koster.
Gallons is also prohibited from possessing weapons. She was ordered to immediately relinquish any weapons to the police.
Gallons and her partner filed counter-protection orders against Koster. These were denied after the judge granted Koster’s two-year order.
Koster’s original comments about the matter explained that “Nesey and I entered a consensual relationship in 2001, which continued until 2008. When the relationship began, I was 28, and Nesey was 16, just before her 17th birthday.”
He also added, “Though this put her over Georgia’s legal age of consent when our relationship began, it was wrong to allow the relationship to happen at all, and I’ve apologized to Nesey many times for that.”
Koster stressed that he “should have been more responsible about the age gap, but I deny all the other accusations she’s made.” She originally accused the star of grooming her when she was just 15 years old.
For help, advice, or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault, and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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