Three more women have come forward to police to accuse Cuba Gooding Jr. of sexual misconduct.
A source tells PEOPLE said the claims made by the unidentified women are being investigated and that no new charges against Gooding have been filed. Page Six first reported the news.
Gooding’s attorney, Mark J. Heller, tells PEOPLE in a statement the claims by the three women are not “credible.”
“Reportedly, there have been three additional ladies claiming sexual misconduct on Cuba’s part, one going as far back as 2008. None of those is credible,” says Heller. “They certainly won’t be incorporated into the indictment for which we’ll appear in court tomorrow.”
He adds, “There is no proof of any criminal conduct on Cuba’s part.”
Sergeant Jessica McRorie, a spokeswoman for the NYPD Deputy Commissioner, told PEOPLE in a statement, “The NYPD takes sexual assault and rape cases extremely seriously, and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so we can perform a comprehensive investigation, and offer support and services to survivors.”
NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea added in his own statement, “As it has been reported for some time, several sexual assault complaints that have been worked on by our Special Victims Division under Chief Harrison. A lot of good work. There are active criminal investigations that are right now being prosecuted,” although it was unclear if he was speaking solely of accusations against Gooding.
RELATED: Cuba Gooding Jr. Appears in Court as Sexual Abuse Trial Begins
The actor is currently facing trial for allegedly groping a woman at a New York City rooftop bar. Gooding appeared in court last week alongside his lawyers.
He was charged with two misdemeanors: forcible touching and sexual abuse in the third degree. He has pled not guilty to both charges.
Gooding turned himself in to the New York Police Department in June and was later released on his own recognizance.
The unidentified woman claimed Gooding was “highly intoxicated” and explained that they got into an argument after he touched her and she resisted, according to Page Six.
A law enforcement official told the Times that investigators found security camera footage that allegedly verified the woman’s allegations.
Heller said he has viewed surveillance footage of the “entire event” and “there was not a drop of criminal conduct or inappropriate activity on his part.”
“I know the video, which covered the entire evening, shows absolutely no conduct or any inappropriateness on Cuba’s part,” he previously told PEOPLE. “And I am frankly shocked the prosecutor would consider a case like this.”
Gooding is due to be back in court on Tuesday.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to online.rainn.org.
from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/2BeumYJ
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