Bob Dylan accused of grooming and sexually abusing an underage girl in 1965

The legendary songwriter and singer Bob Dylan is accused of sexual offences against a minor in the spring of 1965.

The female victim, whose identity has been hidden for their own safety, accuses Dylan of grooming (manipulation of a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation) as well as sexual abuse and threats of physical violence.

The victim was 12 years old at the time and the acts took place, he says, over a six-week period between April and May 1965. The Chelsea Hotel in New York, USA, is mentioned as one of the places where the alleged crimes took place.

According to the charges, Dylan, real name Robert Zimmerman, also provided alcohol and drugs to his underage victim and caused her ongoing psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, and physical pain. You can read the full charges here.

According to Dylan’s representative, the allegations in the indictment are untrue and will be vigorously defended. The allegations relate to events that occurred decades ago, but the New York Child Victims Act, passed in 2019, allowed child sex crime victims to be prosecuted in cases where the crime would otherwise have been time-barred. The law was repealed last week, and Dylan’s case was filed a day earlier.