Cosby To Give Testimony Over Sex Abuse Claim

Bill Cosby will give evidence under oath today over claims he molested a 15-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion 40 years ago.

The veteran comedian will provide a deposition, sworn testimony given to lawyers behind closed doors, as part of a civil case brought in Los Angeles by Judy Huth.

She claims that the star gave her alcohol as they played billiards at a tennis club and then took her to the Playboy Mansion where he assaulted her in a bedroom suite.

The judge in the case has ruled that the evidence Cosby gives will not be made public until at least December.

The entertainer’s lawyers have denied Ms Huth’s claims, describing them as “absolutely false”, and claim she tried to sell the story a decade ago.

But the star is now facing allegations of sexual offences from more than 40 women. Many of the accusers claim they were drugged before being assaulted.

The statute of limitations means legal action cannot be taken over offences alleged to have happened many years ago. But legal experts say the accusers could still face Cosby in court.

"In the United States, even if somebody can't bring their own lawsuit they can become a witness in someone else's and show a pattern of behaviour," said Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

"So now, instead of having Bill Cosby as this lovable American icon, you're going to have woman after woman coming forward and saying 'He drugged me and he raped me'."

The Los Angeles district attorney is also considering whether to bring criminal charges over claims by model Chloe Goins that she was assaulted by Cosby in 2008. The alleged incident, she says, also happened at the Playboy Mansion.

Cosby has refused to answer reporters’ questions about the allegations. His representatives have repeatedly denied he is guilty of any wrongdoing.

In a deposition given in 2005, as part of a case that was settled out of court, Cosby admitted obtaining the sedatives Quaaludes to give to women for sex. His lawyers say it does not represent an admission that he has done anything wrong.

On Friday night, the NBC show Dateline will broadcast an interview with 27 of the women who have made allegations against Cosby.