46-year-old Rikki Rockett had been accused by an unnamed woman of raping her in Mississippi during September last year.

But it now transpires the drummer wasn\'t in that state at the time, so police are satisfied he could not have committed the crime.

The drummer believes the claims may have been a case of attempted distortion:

\"I think it was a case where the woman and her husband unfortunately believed they could extort money from me and my band. (...) They tried to subvert and make a mockery of the criminal justice system. It is abhorrent and disgraceful. It\'s nice to feel like I can have my life back now. I have a Poison tour to look forward to as well as a wedding to prepare for.\"

The rocker was busted by the Airport Division of the LAPD in March 2008 as he was going through customs after performing at a large music festival in Wellington, New Zealand. Rikki:

\"I was exhausted from a 14-hour flight and then was hauled off to jail. The worst part was having to walk past my fiancée in handcuffs. She had no idea what was happening and neither did I! When I was finally told that I was arrested on charges of rape, I about passed out!\"

Rikki was booked, fingerprinted, and photographed at the Los Angeles county jail.

\"The Police were as cool to me as they could be considering the circumstances. I was never disrespected by them during the time I was there. I want them to know that I appreciate that.\"

In related news: Rikki recently announced his first signature cymbal, made by Bosphorus. The 3000 grams heavy ride symbal offers an huge projection and intense cutting volume.