Los Angeles, Dec 17 (IANS/EFE) The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has decided not to charge Bill Cosby after a woman accused the comedian of sexually abusing her when she was 15 years old, according to the TMZ celebrity gossip news site.
The alleged victim, Judy Huth, 55, took the matter to court early this month, four decades after the incident allegedly took place, and the prosecutor had to reject it because the crime had surpassed the state's statute of limitations.
The authorities would not initiate proceedings on the basis of the complaint as, according to Cosby's lawyer, it lacked legal basis.
The actor's defence team holds that Huth was lying and that she tried to extort money from Cosby in exchange for her silence before filing her complaint.
According to Huth's testimony, she met Cosby at a park in 1974, where he offered her alcohol before taking her to the Playboy mansion in Los Angeles, where she was sexually abused.
Huth is one of over two dozen women who have accused Cosby of sexual abuse, with some of the allegations going back to 1965.
The actor's wife Camille in a statement Monday defended her spouse and criticised the media for damaging the reputation of the actor without verifying the accusations first.
"I met my husband, Bill Cosby, in 1963, and we were married in 1964. The man I met, and fell in love with, and whom I continue to love, is the man you all knew through his work," she said.
Her daughter Evin also publicly came out in support of Cosby Tuesday, with words that were in tune with her mother's statement.
As a result of the scandal, the comedian stepped down from the board of trustees at Temple University in the US city of Philadelphia.
He also lost his status as an honorary chief petty officer in the US Navy.
NBC television decided to shelve a new programme starring Cosby, while Netflix postponed the launch of a special programme on him which was scheduled for this month.
The actor also had to cancel his appearance on "Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS television.
--IANS/EFE
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