US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has been enmeshed in yet another controversy – this time with regard to alleged rape.
The controversial US Republican presidential front-runner has been accused of raping a woman when she was a teenager after attacking the alleged victim with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The bombshell claim threatens to derail Trump’s bid for the White House, as he is currently on course to win the party’s nomination for the November election.
The billionaire businessman responded last night saying the allegations are “categorically false”.
The alleged victim, who lodged her claim in the Central District Court of California on Tuesday, is suing for $100m.
The woman identified herself in court papers as Kate Johnson, and plans to defend herself in court.
She accused Trump and fellow billionaire Epstein of “sexual abuse under threat of harm” and “conspiracy to deprive civil rights.”
In her claim, Johnson “alleges she was enticed by promises of money and modelling career to attend a series of underage sex parties held at the New York City residence of defendant Jeffrey E Epstein and attended by Donald J Trump.”
She claims she was forced to perform a sex act on Trump, 69, and “engage in an unnatural lesbian sex act with her fellow minor and sex slave”.
She said on the “fourth and final sexual encounter” Trump “proceeded to forcibly rape the Plaintiff.”
Johnson alleges in her claim she “loudly pleaded with defendant Trump to ‘please wear a condom’.”
She claims the acts took place from June to September 1994.
Johnson alleges “she was subject to extreme sexual and physical abuse” from the age of 13.
“On the first occasion,” she said she “was forced to manually stimulate Defendant Trump with the use of her hand … until he reached sexual orgasm.”
She then goes on: “On the second occasion,” the documents state, she “was forced to orally copulate Defendant Trump by placing her mouth upon Defendant Trump’s erect penis until he reached sexual orgasm.”
In response to the allegations Trump told Radar Online: “The allegations are not only categorically false, but disgusting at the highest level and clearly framed to solicit media attention or, perhaps, are simply politically motivated.
“There is absolutely no merit to these allegations. Period.”
Epstein has yet to comment on the allegations.
Johnson claims she was threatened with her life if she ever spoke of the abuse she alleges she suffered.
In closing her statement she added: “[The alleged victim] was fully warned on more than one occasion by both defendants, Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey E, Epstein, that were she ever to reveal any of the details of the sexual and physical abuse that she had suffered as a sex slave for defendant Trump and defendant Epstein, that plaintiff Johnson and her family would be in mortal danger.
“The Plaintiff was warned that this would mean certain death for herself and the Plaintiff family unless she remained silent forever on the exact details of the depraved and perverted sexual and physical abuse she had been forced to endure from the defendants.”
The allegations emerged less than 24 hours after Trump attracted criticism after proudly boasting while on the campaign trial in Indianapolis that he had been endorsed by Mike Tyson.
The state is where the former world heavyweight champion was convicted of raping beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington in 1992.
He was jailed for three years for the attack.
“Mike Tyson endorsed me,” Trump told the crowd.
“I love it. He sent out a tweet. Mike. Iron Mike. You know, all the tough guys endorse me. I like that, OK?
“But Mike said, ‘I love Trump. I endorse Trump.’ And that’s the end. I’m sure he doesn’t know about your economic situation in Indiana. But when I get endorsed by the tough ones, I like it, because you know what? We need toughness now. We need toughness.”
Trump was a supporter of Tyson after the conviction, saying that “to a large extent” he was “railroaded.”
Trump had a financial interest in the case because Tyson’s fights made money for his hotels.
The businessman was previously accused of sexual assault by his ex-wife Ivana ZelníÄková during their divorce in 1991.
The Czech-American socialite accused him of “raping” her three years previously but later clarified her comment saying it was not in “a literal or criminal sense”.
Trump has always denied her allegation.
The allegation had appeared in a sworn deposition made by Ivana Trump reported in the 1993 book ‘Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump’, by Harry Hurt III.
According the author, she accused him of rape after he allegedly attacked her in a “violent assault”.
In the book, it is alleged he ripped off her clothes to have sex with her.
The book claims she told her friends: “He raped me.”
A spokesman for Trump wrongly claimed “you cannot rape your spouse”.
However 50 states throughout the US say it is illegal.
Before ‘Lost Tycoon’ was printed, Trump and his lawyers provided a statement from Ivana, published beneath the allegation of rape.
It read: “During a deposition given by me in connection with my matrimonial case, I stated that my husband had raped me.
“I wish to say that on one occasion during 1989, Mr Trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage.
“As a woman, I felt violated, as the love and tenderness which he normally exhibited toward me, was absent. I referred to this as a ‘rape,’ but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.
“Any contrary conclusion would be an incorrect and most unfortunate interpretation of my statement which I do not want to be interpreted in a speculative fashion and I do not want the press or media to misconstrue any of the facts set forth above.
“All I wish is for this matter to be put to rest.”
•Adapted from a Daily Mirror report. Photo shows Donald Trump.
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