Comedian Chris D’Elia is being sued for allegedly violating federal child pornography and child sexual exploitation laws. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, D’Elia solicited more than 100 sexually explicit photos and videos from the plaintiff, half of which were taken when she was 17 years old. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, had messaged D’Elia on Instagram in September 2014, and the two later communicated on Snapchat. D’Elia was 34 at the time, and allegedly persuaded Doe to attend one of his stand-up shows in October 2014. According to a statement from Doe’s attorneys, the two then had sex, during which “Mr. D’Elia expressed that Ms. Doe’s age, innocence, and virginity made the encounter ‘hot.’â€
“When I was in my final year of high school and still a child, I was groomed by a celebrity twice my age. Chris D’Elia abused his status and fame to lure me in, take advantage, and manipulate me when I was at a vulnerable age,†Doe said in a statement through her attorneys. “I want any other girls out there to know that they are not alone, and it is time to get justice for the mental and physical toll he has put us through.†D’Elia has responded to the allegations through a spokesperson on Tuesday, who said, “Chris denies these allegations and will vigorously defend against them in court.†D’Elia recently resurfaced on social media following allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, with a YouTube video in which he said, “I stand by the fact that all my relationships have been consensual and legal, and that’s just it. That’s the truth.â€