MN Native Bob Dylan Accused Of Abusing 12-Year-Old In 1965

Hibbing, Minnesota native Bob Dylan is accused of drugging and sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in Manhattan in 1965, according to a new lawsuit filed by his alleged victim.

The victim, identified only by the initials J. C., claims that her abuse at Dylan's hands occurred between April and May 1965 in Dylan's apartment at the Chelsea Hotel on 23rd Street.

The legendary songwriter "exploited his status as a musician by grooming J.C. to gain her trust and to obtain control over her as part of his plan to sexually molest and abuse" her, the woman's lawyers wrote in the suit, filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Representatives for Dylan quickly denied the allegations, telling news outlets that "The 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended."

The woman, now in her sixties and a resident of Greenwich, Conn., sued Dylan under New York's Child Victims Act. The window for filing such claims closed on Friday, the day her suit was filed.

For years following the alleged abuse, the woman has suffered from depression, anxiety, personal embarrassment and physical health issues, her attorneys said.

Dylan, now 80, released his album "Bringing It All Back Home" in March 1965, one month before the alleged abuse began. The woman is seeking monetary damages from Dylan to cover years' worth of medical expenses.

Dylan was born in Duluth and raised in Hibbing. He attended the University of Minnesota but did not graduate.

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