Prince Andrew issued his own public statement on the allegations that he sexually abused an underage girl over a decade ago.

Prince Andrew Denies Having Sex With A Minor

Prince Andrew addressed the allegations against him while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, adding to the statement previously released by Buckingham Palace.

“Firstly, I think I must, want, for the record to refer to the events that have taken place in the last three weeks. And I just wish to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements which have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace,” Prince Andrew said.

Buckingham Palace recently released a statement denying any wrongdoing, stating, “It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York [Andrew] had any form of sexual contact or relationship [with minor]. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”

Prince Andrew avoided mentioning the allegations against him directly, instead moving on to perform his duties at the Forum. “My focus is on my work and this evening’s reception allows me to tell you about just a couple of the initiatives that I have founded and am passionate about,” he added.

Earlier this month, Virginia Roberts, 31, filed legal documents claiming she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 by American billionaire and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Roberts maintains that Epstein kept her as a “sex slave” for four years beginning in 1999 and ending in 2002, during which time he would force her to have sexual relations with his powerful friends.

Civil Motion Filed In Jeffrey Epstein Case

Roberts came forward publicly in a civil motion filed on Dec. 30, naming Prince Andrew as a man she was forced to have sex with. The motion, filed by Roberts and another unnamed woman, asks the U.S. courts to reconsider their plea deal with Epstein made in 2007. Epstein, who was being investigate for numerous offenses, plead guilty to state charges to avoid a federal prosecution – one count of soliciting a prostitute and one count of solicitation of a minor to engage in prostitution. Epstein served 18 months in prison, but a group of four women are filing a civil motion to have the plea deal invalidated. They believe that the deal was unlawful as it violated their rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. They allege that they were not informed by the government of the possible nature of the case against Epstein and accuse Epstein of using “powerful political and social connections to secure a favorable plea deal.”

According to documents filed, Epstein had a female accomplice recruit underage girls for sex, or, as the papers call it, “Epstein’s sexual abuse ring.” According to Roberts, Epstein would have underage girls present themselves as “sex slaves” for powerful men at parties. He would pay them for their services and have them recount their sexual exploits to him so that he could have privileged information on his powerful cohorts. “Epstein also sexually trafficked the ten-minor Jane Doe, making her available for sex to politically-connected and financially-powerful people,” read the documents.

Virginia Roberts: “Epstein Made Me Have Sex With Prince Andrew”

While the claims filed hint at other powerful men involved in the sexual exploitation of minors, Prince Andrew, a known friend of Epstein’s, is one of the handful identified by name, as his name was also made public during Epstein’s 2007 case. Roberts claims she first met Prince Andrew in 2001 and was given £10,000 in cash by Epstein to do whatever Prince Andrew wanted. She alleges that she and the Prince engaged in sexual activity on two other occasions.

“Epstein made me have sex with Prince Andrew several times,” Roberts states in the court documents. “I had sex with him three times, including one orgy. I knew he was a member of the British Royal Family, but I just called him ‘Andy’ … Epstein told me ‘to exceed’ everything I had been taught. He emphasized that whatever Prince Andrew wanted, I was to make sure he got.”

Roberts claims that Prince Andrew knew she was 17 at the time of their first encounter, but it’s unclear how aware he was that she was being paid or forced.

After the court documents were filed, Roberts’ lawyers Paul Cassell and Bradley Edwards sent a letter to Buckingham Palace asking Prince Andrew to participate in an interview under oath. Included in the letter was a photo of Roberts with Prince Andrew dated early 2001. Buckingham Palace did not accept the letter and it was returned.

Prince Andrew is not the only man named in the suit that has denied the allegations. Lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who helped Epstein negotiate his plea deal in 2007, called Roberts “a serial liar” and claimed he never met her in a sworn statement submitted to the court.

In a statement from Epstein’s attorney Jack Goldberger, Epstein dismissed the allegations as “outlandish,” stating, “These are stale, rehashed allegations that lawyers are now attempting to repackage and spice up by adding the names of prominent people.”