Rob O' Neal/Key West Citizen via APNick Carter is a free jailbird.
The Backstreet Boys singer was released from the Monroe County Detention Center in Key West, Fla. Thursday on a $1,500 bond, according to the center.
The 35-year-old father-to-be was arrested and locked away behind bars on Wednesday night following an alleged bar scuffle at Hog's Breath Saloon in the town. He was charged with misdemeanor battery after authorities reported to the scene.
The singer was swarmed by photographers upon his departure from the jail. Sporting a red tank top, black shorts and a basketball cap, Carter maintained a rather neutral expression, smirking subtly as he held his head high and gripped the blue shirt he was photographed wearing in his mug shot the night before.
While the former Dancing With the Stars contestant has remained silent on social media, his next scheduled court date is for Feb. 8 at 8:30 a.m. at the Key West courthouse.
This is not the first time alcohol has gotten the performer in trouble. In 2005, he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of drunk driving after "driving erratically" following a night out.
Carter's arrest comes as a shock considering his most recent months have been filled with celebratory milestones. He ranked second place in the ABC show's 21st season and announced during a live telecast that he was expecting his first child, a son, with his wife Lauren Kitt.
The show was a therapeutic experience, giving Carter the opportunity during one episode to reflect on his past struggles with substance abuse and the loss of his sister Leslie Carter from an overdose in 2012.
After the show's finale, Carter attributed a rebirth of sorts to his experience as a contestant.
"They brought back a Nick Carter that I think was kind of hidden for a while," he told E! News' Sibley Scoles. "That makes me a winner in my mind. I feel just so grateful."