The FBI has opened an inquiry into Ryan Adams' communication with an underage fan a day after the New York Times published an expose about the singer-songwriter, alleging that he exchanged explicit messages with the minor.

FBI agents from the Crime Against Children Squad in the bureau's New York office began the steps of opening a criminal investigation on Thursday, the Times reported.

Those steps include interviewing the woman that the Times reported on, who is no longer a minor, and gathering evidence of the correspondence.

The singer's lawyer, Andrew Brettler said Adams has not been contacted by any member of a law enforcement agency, including the FBI, as per the Hollywood Reporter.

Adams has been accused of sexual misconduct and emotional manipulation by more than half a dozen women, including ex-wife Mandy Moore.

The release of the singer's album 'Big Colors' has been put on hold in the wake of the allegations that accuse that Adams struck up a Twitter conversation with a 14-year-old bassist in 2013. What started as a discussion on music and the minor's career, turned explicit in nature.

Adams, however, denied ever discussing anything other than music with fans and engaging in an explicit correspondence with a minor.

Five women, two off the record, came forward to allege that Adams initially offered them professional help but ended up pursuing them sexually.

Moore and ex-fiancee Megan Butterworth alleged that Adams had been emotionally and verbally abusive to them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)