Note: This article comprises descriptions of alleged sexual assault that some readers might discover disturbing.
RiFF RAFF is because of stand trial subsequent 12 months in a sexual assault case stemming from a 2014 incident at a Nevada brothel, courtroom paperwork reviewed by Pitchfork have revealed. The civil case, which is able to come earlier than a Washoe County, Nevada jury on May 28, 2019, was filed on October 23, 2014 and has not beforehand been reported publicly.
A lady recognized as Jane Doe filed the civil go well with towards RiFF RAFF (delivery identify: Horst Christian Simco) and his frequent collaborator DollaBillGates (Eric Lasaan Bing), and accuses them of sexual assault, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional misery, false imprisonment, and civil conspiracy tied to an incident that befell within the early morning of August 31, 2014. (At the time of the alleged incident, RiFF RAFF, then 32, was arguably on the top of his recognition; one week earlier, he made national headlines for attending the MTV Video Music Awards with Katy Perry.) The accuser is asking for not less than $12 million in damages to cowl medical bills, misplaced wages, bodily, emotional, and psychological trauma, authorized prices, and extra. (Jane Doe’s authorized group declined to remark for this text.)
Court paperwork reveal conflicting tales in regards to the alleged incident. On August 30, 2014, Jane Doe, then 21, and an acquaintance (recognized in paperwork as Sara) attended a RiFF RAFF live performance on the Bunny Ranch Bar & Cigar in Mound House, Nevada after they’d completed working as dancers at bachelor events earlier within the night time. After the present, they waited outdoors the venue, “hoping to meet [RiFF RAFF]… because they were fans of some of his music,” in accordance with the criticism.
After assembly RiFF RAFF and DollaBillGates, Jane Doe and Sara went with them to a bungalow on the Bunny Ranch, the well-known brothel adjoining to the venue. Once within the room, RiFF RAFF allegedly laid out strains of cocaine. In an interview with Detective Marty Dues of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada on November 21, 2014, the transcript of which was submitted to the courtroom, Jane Doe mentioned that RiFF RAFF and DollaBillGates used the cocaine, and that she and Sara didn’t. (According to courtroom filings, DollaBillGates and Sara later informed the identical detective that each one 4 of them used cocaine and drank alcohol that night time; RiFF RAFF has not admitted to any drug use.)
Jane Doe claimed that RiFF RAFF then took a bag filled with the money that the ladies had earned earlier that night time and began to stack it. According to the criticism, he allegedly informed Jane Doe and Sara, “If you want this money back, you are both going to fuck me,” and, “If you don’t, you’re not going to like what’s going to happen and you are not getting your precious money back.”
In the identical interview with Detective Dues, Jane Doe described an intimidating surroundings wherein RiFF RAFF informed the ladies how a lot cash they may make (for him and themselves) by working for him. Jane Doe additionally informed the detective that DollaBillGates was bodily blocking the door to the room, stopping them from leaving as RiFF RAFF was speaking to them.
According to the criticism, Jane Doe mentioned that the ladies agreed to have intercourse with RiFF RAFF to get their a reimbursement. She alleged that each girls carried out oral intercourse on RiFF RAFF and had vaginal intercourse with him. Jane Doe additionally claimed that RiFF RAFF pressured her to carry out oral intercourse on DollaBillGates, saying, “Bitch, do you want your money or not?” and, “then do what you’re fucking told.” She mentioned that after each rappers completed, they gave them their a reimbursement.
RiFF RAFF denied the allegations in a courtroom declaration from September 14, 2016. “I did not sexually assault [Jane Doe], nor did I have any sexual contact with her whatsoever,” he mentioned. “At no time did I force [Jane Doe] to perform any sexual act on me or anyone else.” RiFF RAFF’s authorized group later claimed “he is being targeted because [Jane Doe] believes him to be a wealthy public figure,” in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
Sara’s model of the night time in query contrasts tremendously with Jane Doe’s, in accordance with the transcript of her interview with Detective Dues, which befell on an unspecified date. Sara mentioned she was not “fearful,” nor did she “feel forced” with RiFF RAFF, and mentioned that Jane Doe was “just trying to make up stories.” Sara additionally mentioned that DollaBillGates didn’t, any level, block the door to exit. In his personal interview with Detective Dues, which befell on May 14, 2015, DollaBillGates denied any sexual assault going down on the Bunny Ranch bungalow, in accordance with a transcript.
On the night time of August 31, 2014, the identical day because the alleged assault, Jane Doe filed a police report with the South Lake Tahoe Police Department in California, the place she lives; it was later offered to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada. Jane Doe additionally underwent a sexual assault examination within the early morning of September 1, 2014, about 24 hours after the alleged incident. She mentioned that the alleged sexual assault aggravated an ovarian cyst, inflicting her ache, the police report said.
After talking with Jane Doe, Sara, and DollaBillGates (however not RiFF RAFF), the deputy report exhibits that Detective Dues of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office closed Jane Doe’s legal case towards RiFF RAFF. He wrote in his report, “The reported assault cannot be proven due to the lack of physical evidence, forensic evidence, and direct evidence including the contradictory eye witness testimony of Sara. The above problematic issues couple with [Jane Doe’s] unbelievable and ever-changing accounts preclude this investigation from continuing further.” He cited 14 discrepancies within the case, together with whether or not DollaBillGates was guarding the door, who did cocaine, and who had intercourse with whom.
Jane Doe’s civil go well with remained open, and RiFF RAFF and DollaBillGates have been served with a number of summonses within the 19 months following the go well with’s October 2014 submitting. According to courtroom paperwork, she appeared earlier than a choose on April 15, 2016 to find out the damages owed her because of the alleged assault. She defined how previous trauma predisposed her to extreme PTSD. “I have been clinically diagnosed with PTSD, manic depression, social anxiety, and… insomnia,” she informed the courtroom. “It’s just completely turned my world upside down.” A medical psychologist (who first noticed Jane Doe in November 2014 after her legal professionals referred her to the physician) additionally informed the courtroom that Jane Doe suffered from extreme PTSD linked to the alleged assault.
When requested why she initially selected to withhold her identify within the lawsuit, Jane Doe mentioned she was “in fear of [her] life.” She continued: “Because [RiFF RAFF] threatened that if I were to report anything, he would come and find me.” (Pitchfork has chosen to proceed calling her “Jane Doe” to guard her anonymity.)
In the weeks that adopted the listening to, Jane Doe’s legal professionals despatched RiFF RAFF a memorandum of alleged damages, now totaling round $12 million. His legal professionals appeared in courtroom on May 20, 2016, claiming they’d been unaware of the go well with till May 19, 2016. RiFF RAFF later gave quite a lot of causes as to why he didn’t reply the earlier summons, together with confusion over the paperwork.
DollaBillGates has nonetheless not responded to his May 5, 2015 summons. On October 6, 2017, Jane Doe’s group filed for a default judgment towards him. The default was authorized. Meanwhile, RiFF RAFF’s group argued that DollaBillGates shouldn’t be a defendant within the case. The courtroom dominated in any other case. The date for a listening to to find out the damages DollaBillGates doubtlessly owes has not been set.
Earlier this 12 months, as Jane Doe’s case towards RiFF RAFF continued unknown to the general public, the rapper was accused publicly of rape. As referenced by Jane Doe’s authorized group in courtroom filings, an Australian girl got here ahead this previous May claiming that RiFF RAFF sexually assaulted her in 2013 when she was 19 years outdated. According the girl, RiFF RAFF drugged her with codeine and alcohol earlier than having intercourse along with her whereas she was unconscious. He denied the allegations a few weeks later in a video referred to as “Trial by Media.” He said, “Never once have I forced a girl to have sex. Never once have I forced a girl to do any type of drugs. I don’t want to have a girl drunk and sleepy.”
In August 2018, Jane Doe’s legal professionals filed a movement for sanctions towards RiFF RAFF that factors to a sample of alleged conduct. “It has now become apparent that [RiFF RAFF]’s sexual assault of [Jane Doe] in this case is part of a pattern of perversion preceded by multiple other undisclosed acts of perverted conduct and sexual assault of young women,” the movement said. The legal professionals cited different incidents, together with an allegation by a woman who mentioned that when she was 17, RiFF RAFF touched her inappropriately and tried to coerce her into having intercourse with him, and 2013 incidents wherein two women accused him of masturbating in front of them without their consent.
In the movement, Jane Doe’s legal professionals additionally declare that RiFF RAFF omitted details, represented himself falsely, bullied and intimidated Jane Doe and witnesses, and extra. In response, RiFF RAFF’s authorized group has requested the courtroom to strike Jane Doe’s movement for sanctions as a result of, partly, they declare, it “packs as much scandalous material therein as is humanly possible, and for good measure, accuses opposing counsel of perpetrating a fraud upon the Court.”
When contacted by Pitchfork, RiFF RAFF’s lawyer mentioned in a press release, “Mr. Simco and his representatives take allegations of sexual misconduct very seriously.” They added, “This case is set for a jury trial in May of 2019, and Mr. Simco looks forward to the opportunity to clear his name.”
If you or somebody you understand has been affected by sexual violence and wish to speak, we advocate these assets:
RAINN
https://rainn.org
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
https://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat help)
SMS: Text “HERE” to 741-741
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