A rising tech entrepreneur has left his company after an ex-girlfriend accused him of sexually assaulting her during a kinky relationship gone horribly wrong.
Urban Airship co-founder and CEO Scott Kveton, 40, is being investigated by police in Portland, Oregon, but has not been charged with any crime, according to The Oregonian, which first reported the investigation on July 2.
His 34-year-old accuser, who dated Kveton between 2008 and 2013, told police that Kveton assaulted her in 2012 and 2013, the paper said. She lodged similar complaints with nearby police departments in 2010 and 2011.
The paper — which unearthed hundreds of texts, emails and online chats provided to the police by Kveton’s accuser — said they portray a highly physical relationship that both likened to erotic novel “50 Shades of Grey.”
The exchanges also suggest that Kveton trolled Craigslist and dating sites for women willing to engage in role-playing games, visited swingers clubs and videotaped his accuser in sexual acts without her consent, according to the report.
“I can remember you saying no in the past … many, many, many times in fact and actually enjoying it all the same … I seem to think I even have video of it,” the paper quoted from an email apparently sent from Kveton’s account. “That’s neither here nor there however … it was awful and I know it.”
The accuser told police she met Kveton online and they began an on-again, off-again sexual relationship when they were both married to other people, the paper said.
“When the story about my personal situation was published last Wednesday, it became clear that my transition timing needed to accelerate,” Kveton said a blog posting on the company’s website Tuesday.
“So effective immediately, I am going on an extended leave of absence to focus on resolving this situation.”
Kveton describes himself as a “tech entrepreneur, bacon lover and proud father” on his personal website. He co-founded Urban Airship, a mobile software developer that raised more than $15 million from Salesforce.com and Verizon, among other investors, in 2011.