Prince Andrew is facing sexual assault charges in the United States.

Virginia Giuffre has filed a lawsuit claiming the prince sexually assaulted her 20 years ago at the London home of the disgraced tycoon, Jeffrey Epstein.

Giuffre claims the Duke of York assaulted her several different times, all of them on properties owned by Epstein and Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Prince Andrew was friends with Epstein and visited his properties as a guest. The alleged incidents occurred in Epstein’s mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, a private island in the U.S Virgin Islands and in Maxwell’s home in London.

Epstein’s properties served as a personal playground for him. He brought underaged girls and young women to stay with him. It was later revealed that Epstein sexually abused the young women. Epstein was on trial for the sexual abuse cases, but he killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell before a verdict could be reached in 2019. Maxwell will face a trial for her role in the crimes on November 29.

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Prince Andrew has 21 days to respond to the lawsuit. He will either submit to the default judgment and pay the defendant or, he could face years of legal battle to try to defend himself. He has continued to deny any claims of abuse.

The lawsuit was served to the prince’s legal team in Los Angeles and Britain.

The prince’s attorneys are trying to dismiss the lawsuit claiming that Giuffre signed a release in 2009 in Florida covering “claims against persons associated with Jeffrey Epstein.”

Andrew Brettler, a lawyer for the prince, said, “There has been a settlement agreement that the plaintiff has entered into in a prior action that releases the Duke and others from any and all potential liability.”

Giuffre’s lawyers countered that claim and will continue to pursue the lawsuit despite the prince’s efforts to avoid it.

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