Harvey Weinstein accused of sex trafficking by British actress Kadian Noble

Harvey Weinstein has been accused of sex trafficking after a British woman alleged he groomed her in London before sexually assaulting her in Cannes.

Aspiring actress Kadian Noble, who has waived her right to anonymity, says the 65-year-old producer promised her a role in one of his films if she went along with his demands.

After meeting one of Weinstein’s executive assistants in the capital, she claims she was asked to meet the movie mogul in a hotel in Cannes in February 2014.

The 31-year-old alleges Weinstein massaged her and told her if she was "a good girl" and did "whatever he wished" then "they would work" together.

The lawsuit, filed in New York, goes on to say that despite telling him to stop, he "forcibly pulled" her into the bathroom where he stripped and groped her, forcing her to perform sexual acts.

Ms Noble is seeking unspecified damages for "severe injuries and emotional distress, pain and suffering, mental anguish, inconvenience, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, inability to lead a normal life, shame and humiliation".

She is also suing the producer’s younger brother Bob and studio The Weinstein Company for "reckless disregard", alleging they knew about Weinstein’s behaviour.

A spokeswoman for Weinstein said: "Mr Weinstein denies allegations of non-consensual sex. Mr Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances."

In a separate case, also filed on Monday, an unnamed woman is seeking more than £300,000 in damages against the disgraced producer over "a series of sexual assaults" alleged to have taken place "many years ago".

It is not known if the woman, who says she suffered "psychiatric damage" caused by "intentional assault", is British.

It is the first UK civil damages claim against the producer.

The former movie mogul is also facing criminal investigations in London, New York and Los Angeles after more than 50 women – including stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Rose McGowan – spoke about their experiences of unwanted sexual contact with him over the past three decades.

Last week, actress Uma Thurman suggested she too had been a victim of sexual harassment, writing on her Instagram page that Weinstein didn’t "deserve a bullet".

Following the outpouring of accusations, Weinstein has taken a "leave of absence" from work and undergone treatment for sex addiction.

(c) Sky News 2017: Harvey Weinstein accused of sex trafficking by British actress Kadian Noble