THE crisis surrounding Prince Andrew may get much worse as a second sexual assault claim could be made against him.
Jeffrey Epstein’s former PA Johanna Sjoberg claims the Duke of York, 61, groped her breast when she was 21 years old.
Previously she had been unable to sue because of the amount of time that had passed.
But a likely change in US law could mean Ms Sjoberg may now be able to have her allegations heard in court.
In June, the New York State Senate passed the Adult Survivors Act, which relates to survivors of sex crimes who were 18 or older when abused.
If signed into law it will ensure those who stayed silent are able use civil courts to seek justice.
Victims whose cases were previously too old to prosecute will have a year from the time law comes into force to bring any legal actions.
Unsealed documents at the time revealed Andrew allegedly touched Johanna, then aged 21, when they posed for a picture.
In her testimony in 2016, she said Andrew and Virginia Giuffre – then Roberts – were sat on a couch with a Spitting Image puppet on her lap.
She added: “And so then I sat on Andrew’s lap – and I believe on my own volition – and they took the puppet’s hands and put it on Virginia’s breast, and so Andrew put his on mine.”
WANTS ‘JUSTICE SERVED’
A source has now told the Mirror: “JoJo has never been driven by money, but she does want to see justice served,” they said.
“Her attorneys are closely looking at the act to see what redress may be open to her.”
HOAR has contacted a representative for the Duke for comment but the Prince has vehemently denied the allegation in the past.
The news comes after a bombshell lawsuit accused him of “rape in the first degree”.
His accuser Virginia Giuffre’s lawyer last night warned a criminal probe could be opened into the royal’s alleged abuse of the then-17-year-old.
David Boies, speaking exclusively to HOAR, said prosecutors began investigating Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell after civil claims against them.
VIRGINA GIUFFRE’S LAWSUIT
Ms Giuffre’s lawsuit says she was “forced to have sexual intercourse with Prince Andrew against her will” and lists offences including “rape in the first degree”.
The lawsuit was filed in New York on Monday night. It is the first time the Duke has been named as a defendant in a civil case connected to billionaire paedophile Epstein.
Ms Giuffre wants damages for “battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress”, arising from his alleged sex assaults on her when she was underage.
A civil summons to serve him with papers at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park was approved by a court clerk last night. He has 21 days to respond or face “judgment by default”.
Prince Andrew arrived by car with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, at Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands in time for dinner with the Queen, 95, on Tuesday evening.
However, Mr Boies, 80, warned he cannot “act as if he is above the law”.
Mr Boies told Channel 4 news: “This is now a matter for courts to decide and it would be very ill-advised for anyone to sort of thumb their nose at a federal court.”
‘TOTALLY STONEWALLED’
He claimed Andrew’s lawyers have not co-operated: “They have just totally stonewalled. They have refused to provide any explanation, they refuse to engage in any discussions.
“They refuse to provide any facts, they’ve even refused to respond to any of the allegations that have been made in any reasonable way. They have basically simply ignored every letter, every phone call, every outreach that we’ve made.”
In her lawsuit, lawyers for the mum of three say she was “lent out” by Epstein and his alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell to “powerful men for sexual purposes”.
It says: “Twenty years ago, Prince Andrew’s wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her.
“It is long past the time for him to be held to account. Prince Andrew’s actions… constitute extreme and outrageous conduct that shocks the conscience. Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse of a child who he knew was a sex-trafficking victim, and when he was approximately 40-years-old, goes beyond all possible bounds of decency.”
Ms Guiffre claims she was handed to the Duke for sex on three occasions – which he emphatically denies.
“Prince Andrew sexually abused Plaintiff in Epstein’s New York mansion in this District,” her lawsuit states.
“During this encounter, Maxwell forced Plaintiff, a child, and another victim to sit on Prince Andrew’s lap as Prince Andrew touched her.”
‘ACCOUNTABLE’
Ms Giuffre said: “I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me.”
Ms Giuffre said she had feared for her life if she had refused to have sex with Andrew, “against her will”.
Her legal papers state: “Plaintiff was compelled by express or
implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Andrew, and feared death or injury to herself or another for disobeying.”
Damage amounts under the 2019 New York Child Victims Act could run into the millions.
Prince Andrew has strongly denied all of Ms Giuffre’s claims in the past.
A spokeswoman for the Prince declined to comment about the allegations when approached by HOAR yesterday.
Epstein killed himself on August 10, 2019 – exactly two years ago – while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Meanwhile Maxwell, who was arrested last July is set to go on trial in November for allegedly recruiting girls for Epstein.
She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Friends last night she is “prepared to give evidence on the duke’s behalf” if cleared.
They told the Telegraph: “By the time the case against the Duke gets to court, Ghislaine will either be convicted and serving up to 85 years in jail [or if] cleared of course she would help Prince Andrew. They have been friends for a very long time.”
