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Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 | 3:01 p.m.
Magician David Copperfield faces a lawsuit over allegations he sexually assaulted a Seattle woman two years ago, and federal prosecutors continue to weigh potential criminal charges in the case.
The allegations received widespread publicity in 2007 when Copperfield's Las Vegas warehouse was raided as part of the criminal investigation. Copperfield continues to maintain the woman is lying.
The woman, now 22, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle last month against Copperfield. The Seattle Times in a story Thursday identified her as a fashion model and former Miss Washington USA contestant.
The woman is seeking unspecified damages and alleges infliction of emotional distress, false misrepresentation and false imprisonment, the Times reported.
The woman alleges she met Copperfield during a January 2007 performance in Kennewick, Wash., when he called her on stage to perform in his act, the Times reported.
The suit says she was later invited to his private island in the Bahamas, where she claims she was assaulted multiple times and threatened. The woman claims she was led to believe others would be present on the island, but instead found herself alone with Copperfield.
Copperfield sometimes performs in Las Vegas and begins an engagement tonight running through Sept. 23 at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre. The lawsuit says he is also believed to have a residence in Las Vegas.
In a statement responding to the suit, Copperfield called the action an "extortion for money, plain and simple." The woman "has a history of lying, ... which continues in this lawsuit," the statement says.
The Times reported the woman said that after the alleged assaults she was taken to Nassau, where she called her family to report the assault. She flew to Seattle and was taken to the Harborview Medical Center's Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress, where she was examined, the Times said.
A federal source has confirmed that some of her clothing was taken into evidence, the Times reported.
The newspaper said the woman reported the matter to Seattle police, who said a report was taken. Police have declined to release the report. The woman then went to the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the FBI opened an investigation and sources have confirmed a grand jury convened to hear the case, the Times reported.
Mark Bartlett, the first assistant U.S. Attorney in Seattle and the attorney reviewing the case, declined to comment, the Times reported.
Could they have found a creepier picture to go with the story?
Pretty good way to pick up bimbos I guess. Now if there was only a way to tell if they're psycho beforehand.
Hey lv 2009, Leroy done goin to get you with comments like that.
A little to true and close to home. I did time with him in the 80's
he one bad dude, man
Only David Copperfield and his alleged "victim" really know what happened.If it did happen, I hope she sues him for every penny he's got!
The 8 page complaint is quite a read....
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/yea...
....as is Copperfield's retort!!
http://www.copperfieldsetstherecordstrai...
Thanks Joe for the links!
This young lady was stupid to go anywhere unaccompanied! Copperfied is also foolish for even putting himself in the same room with anyone alone! Shame on BOTH of them - this will be a "he said / she said" - but, there are some smart lessons to be learned here!
It's 2009 and people, and there are lots of people on the lam and doing the scam to get ahead anyway they can! We've all got to be fore-warned, smart, and cautious about who we expose ourselves too now-a-days!
Thanx for the links, Joe.
Unfortunately people who lie for money and get away with it are not that uncommon. Oregon has a state victim that rewards lies and even more unfortunate when convictions result from accusations without evidence.
go to his show and see for yourself. He is creepy as hell. I'm a dude and I felt creeped out by his antics with the women in attendance. Perve
A beauty contestant who has never been hit on by any guy in her life travels from washington state, 3000 miles,to met a complete stanger on a private island obviously felt he was so captivated by her personality, that sex would never become an issue. I know that the first thing I notice about a beauty contestant is her personality.
those who play with fire get burned and the woman knew what she was doing and then decided that she did not like something so she turned him in...simple and the oldest trick. I am sure she did not travel all the distance to have a cup of coffee
he's got a thing for girls with pierced tongues.
when a 6 foot 7 inch transvestite calls out to him in the middle of the night, I wonder if the trick will come from up his sleeve?