NY police probing 2004 Weinstein assault case

NEW YORK: New York police said on Thursday they have opened an investigation into allegations of a 2004 sexual assault by disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

An avalanche of claims of sexual harassment, assault and rape by the hugely influential Hollywood producer have surfaced since the publication last week of an explosive New York Times report alleging a history of abusive behavior dating back decades.

A spokesman for the New York Police Department confirmed to AFP it is investigating the 2004 case, but provided no details. New York state has no statute of limitations on most serious felonies, including rape.

The New York Daily News reported that the case involved aspiring actress Lucia Evans. The New Yorker magazine reported on Tuesday that Evans said Weinstein had forced her to perform oral sex on him. The magazine quotes two other women as accusing him of rape. In 2015, the New York police opened an investigation into a complaint by Italian model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, who said Weinstein had sexually attacked her in a hotel room.