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Officials have opened an investigation into allegations that comedian Russell Brand committed “non-recent” sexual offenses in the United Kingdom.
London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement, “Following an investigation by Channel 4′s Dispatches and The Sunday Times, the Met has received a number of allegations of sexual offences in London.
“We have also received a number of allegations of sexual offences committed elsewhere in the country and will investigate these,” the statement read, according to Sky News.
CNN reported that Brand is accused by four women of rape or sexual assault in separate instances between 2006 and 2013. One of the women said she was 16 and in London at the time of one of the alleged incidents. Brand was 31. He is now 48, Reuters reported.
The women have not been named, The Associated Press reported. Neither was Brand when the announcement of the investigation was made. Authorities said only that the investigation was related to the articles and documentary.
Brand has denied all of the allegations, saying that the U.K. government is trying to censor him, CNN reported. He has admitted to being “very, very promiscuous” in the past, but added that the claims are “very serious allegations that I absolutely refute,” Sky News reported.
The remaining dates of Brand’s stand-up tour have been postponed and YouTube has pulled advertising money from his channel, Reuters reported. Brand had 6.6 million subscribers on the platform, the AP reported. He was also dropped by his talent agency and publisher.
The Met announced last week that it has had one report of alleged sexual assault that allegedly happened in 2003. Authorities have encouraged potential victims to come forward.
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