Bill Cosby sued for alleged under-age sexual abuse

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Archive photo of Bill Cosby, 2009Image source, AFP

Bill Cosby is being sued for sexual assault by a woman who says the US comedian molested her when she was 15.

Judy Huth's lawsuit alleges that Cosby molested her at the Playboy mansion in Los Angeles in 1974 and told her to lie about her age.

Cosby's lawyer had no immediate comment on the accusation.

Cosby, 77, has faced a series of renewed allegations that he drugged and sexually assaulted more than a dozen women.

He has not been charged in connection with any of the allegations, which his lawyers have described as "discredited" and "defamatory".

Ms Huth's lawsuit says she and a 16-year-old friend met Mr Cosby on a film set and were later invited to his tennis club, where they were given alcohol before being taken to the Playboy mansion.

There, Ms Huth alleges that she was forced to carry out a sexual act against her will. The lawsuit states that the teenagers were told to lie about their age, and say they were 19 if asked.

It says the incident caused Ms Huth "psychological damage and mental anguish". She is seeking unspecified damages.

The claims in the lawsuit are the first in which a woman has alleged that Cosby assaulted her when she was under age, the Associated Press reported.

In 2005 a woman who accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her brought a lawsuit against him, but the case was settled out of court.

The new suit came a day after Cosby resigned from the board of trustees of Temple University in Philadelphia, where he was once a student, amid the allegations.

Several broadcasters have shelved projects with Mr Cosby, including NBC and Netflix.