New Charges Swirl Around Copperfield
David Copperfield's legal troubles may be worsening.
The illusionist reportedly offered a woman accusing him of sexual assault $2 million to drop her allegations, even as other women are apparently claiming Copperfield uses his shows to target pretty women and try to pick them up.
According to various reports, FBI agents last week raided a Las Vegas warehouse Copperfield owns and, among other things, took a computer hard drive, a memory chip from a digital camera system, and $2 million in cash from a safe. A Copperfield attorney and the FBI deny that any money was taken from the warehouse.
Seattle police now say authorities are probing a woman's claim that she was sexually assaulted by Copperfield. It supposedly happened on his $50 million estate in the Bahamas in late July. The FBI confirms that an allegation out of Seattle prompted the warehouse raid.
In an interview in the National Enquirer, a "friend" of the 21-year-old Seattle woman gives details of the alleged sexual assault and payoff attempt.
According to the tabloid, the friend says the woman flew from Seattle to the Bahamas to attend what she'd been told was a lavish party Copperfield was going to throw but, when the accuser arrived, there was nobody there but Copperfield. The Enquirer says the woman was told she could leave, but that she could stick it out for the night if she wanted and leave the next day. That night, the friend told the Enquirer, Copperfield forced himself on the young woman. The next day, the friend says, the woman returned to Seattle and went right to a hospital, where a rape exam was performed. The friend says the woman purposely didn't shower after the alleged assault, so traces of semen could be preserved, and the woman also took cell phone pictures of the supposed crime scene.
The friend says agents from Seattle's FBI office worked with the woman to put together a "sting" operation in which the woman e-mailed Copperfield, and arranged for her to fly to Las Vegas for a face-to-face meeting, during which the $2 million was offered.
Copperfield lawyers say he never forced himself on anyone, and he's being spotlighted because he's rich and famous.
On Thursday, TMZ.com had an interview with a girl it said is named Amanda, who claimed she was "singled" out by Copperfield just a couple days before his warehouse was raided. When she was led backstage by an assistant, Amanda said, her photo was taken and was asked questions about her taste in perfume and whether she liked the Bahamas. Amanda said she felt "creeped out" by the whole situation but, "He was in and out in less than 10 seconds and they said it was a meet and greet, but I think, after they realized I was married, he decided to just sign my pictures."
TMZ says several other women posted similar stories on the TMZ message board. TMZ also says Copperfield targets females in the audience by using key words such as "mama" and "secrecy."
On The Early Show Friday, CBS News legal analyst Mickey Sherman and Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom discussed the allegations Copperfield is facing and agreed making them disappear won't be easy.
To watch the interview,
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