Model sues Bill Cosby over alleged 2008 sexual assault

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Andrew Meyers/Released)

LOS ANGELES – A model who has accused Bill Cosby of drugging her at the Playboy Mansion in 2008 sued the comedian on Tuesday for sexual assault.

Chloe Goins’ lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles seeks punitive damages for a variety of problems she says she has endured since the incident, including mental anguish, loss of self-esteem and dignity.

“Bill Cosby touched an intimate part of Chloe Goins’ body while she was seriously disabled and/or unconscious,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit is the third filed against Cosby since last year, when allegations of his sexual abuse began receiving new scrutiny. Three of his accusers are suing the comedian for defamation in Springfield, Massachusetts, because of statements released on his behalf that branded them as liars.

Cosby is also being sued in Los Angeles by Judy Huth, who claims Cosby molested her at the Playboy Mansion around 1974 when she was 15. Huth and Cosby’s lawyers are scheduled to be in a Santa Monica courtroom on Wednesday to argue a motion over Cosby’s upcoming deposition in that case.

Many of the accusations against Cosby are barred from being prosecuted or filed as civil lawsuits because of statutes of limitations.

Cosby’s attorney Marty Singer did not immediately return an email message seeking comment about Goins’ lawsuit. He has previously denied the accusations and denied Cosby was in town on the date one of the model’s lawyers has said the incident occurred.

Goins’ lawsuit does not specify a date when the incident occurred, but states it is being filed under a provision that allows victims of underage sexual abuse to sue for several years after they turn 18. Goins turned 18 in May 2008, which would place the incident several months before August 2008, the date her attorney Spencer Kuvin initially said the incident occurred on.

The AP doesn’t normally identify people who say they are victims of sexual abuse, but Goins has come forward publicly in the lawsuit and at a January news conference.

The lawsuit includes a list of 40 women who have accused Cosby, 78, of some form of sexual misconduct, including several who have accused the comedian of drugging and assaulting them. Some of the women are identified only by pseudonyms they have given during news conferences with attorney Gloria Allred.

Goins’ lawsuit states she met Cosby at the Playboy Mansion, who gave her drink that made her sick and dizzy, the complaint states. Cosby then offered to take her to a room to lie down, where she blacked out, according to the lawsuit.

When she awoke, the lawsuit states Goins was naked, her breasts were wet and sticky and Cosby was lower down on the bed biting one of her toes. The comedian left the room when Goins awoke and confronted him about what he was doing, the lawsuit states.

“Ms. Goins at no time gave Bill Cosby consent to touch her body in any way, let alone in a sexual manner,” the lawsuit states.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office said last week that it is reviewing a police investigation into Goins’ allegations for a possible criminal case against Mr. Cosby. There is no timetable for when a decision will be made. Goins met with police detectives in January.