(Details on the second suit at the end of this post) For decades, those with an artistic bent have viewed quirky provocateur Stanley Marsh 3 and his Cadillac Ranch on the outskirts of Amarillo as one of the Panhandle's sole redeeming qualities, beacons of culture and mischief in a region barren of joy and fun. The ten vintage Cadillacs buried in the dust have served as the backdrop for dozens of music videos, and the sight of them cajoled a song ("Cadillac Ranch") out of no less an icon than Bruce Springsteen himself.

However, if the allegations put forth by Houston attorney Anthony Buzbee are true, the Cadillac Ranch's patron -- the 74-year-old Marsh 3 -- is little better than a more cultured, High Plains version of Jerry Sandusky, albeit one with much, much more money, thanks to the oil and gas fortune he inherited.

Or as the suit bluntly puts it, "Stanley Marsh 3 is a serial abuser of boys and young men."

Marsh 3's attorney Kelly Utsinger has denied the allegations. "It's not my usual practice to say much about pending litigation to the media, but I will tell you we will be filing responsive pleadings to deny these allegations," Utsinger told Amarillo.com.

The suit was filed by an Amarillo mother on behalf of her anonymous son on October 12 and just came to light in Amarillo media late last week. According to the suit, the John Doe in this suit was 15 when he was introduced to Marsh 3 in 2010 by a mutual friend. (Marsh 3 has long eschewed using Roman numerals after his last name, claiming they are pretentious.) According to the suit, Marsh 3 has for many years been in the habit of taking in "troubled young men, particularly those with artistic talents, under a so-called 'mentorship program.'"

The suit claims that Marsh wasted little time in commencing his abuse of Doe.

It is alleged that at one of their initial meetings in Marsh 3's downtown office suite, the elder man paid Doe an undisclosed sum of money to masturbate in front of him.

"With time," the suit continues, "there [were] more and more meetings with Marsh 3, at his office, which involved fellatio, masturbation, watching pornographic movies, and other sex acts. Marsh 3 routinely paid Doe in cash and checks, and provided Doe with alcohol and a litany of drugs. Marsh 3 bought two vehicles for Doe as well. Over the year, Marsh 3 would give Doe sums of money that at times would be as much as $10,000."

The boy reportedly became addicted to drugs, allegedly thanks to Marsh 3's providing them for him. Marsh 3 is also alleged to have forced the boy to take Viagra to stimulate his ability to perform sexually. Doe was allegedly paid for each climax he could attain.

Doe's mother said in the suit that while she found it odd that Marsh 3 would take such a keen interest in her son, she allowed him to continue his "mentorship" because Marsh 3's directorship of such "programs" was so public and widely known. Marsh 3 "had even talked with the press about it," the suit notes. "Doe's mother surmised that if these mentoring activities by Marsh 3, a prominent person in Amarillo, were at all improper then certainly Marsh 3 would have been prosecuted for any illegal acts." Immediately upon learning the true nature of Marsh 3's meetings with her son, Doe's mother reported them straight to the Amarillo police and the Potter County District Attorney's office. To date, the suit notes, neither of those offices has filed any formal charges against Marsh 3. A spokesman for the Potter County DA's office has said that they will neither confirm nor deny the existence of an ongoing criminal investigation of Marsh 3.

This is not Marsh 3's first brush with the law, nor even his first of this nature.