Chris D'Elia accused of soliciting child pornography, sexually exploiting minor

Chris D'Elia has been accused of soliciting child pornography and sexually exploiting a minor in a federal lawsuit, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

On behalf of Jane Doe, the filed lawsuit in a US District Court for the Central District of California claims that in 2014, a then 34-year-old D'Elia sexually abused Doe while she was 17-years-old. It went on to claim that D’Elia demanded sexually explicit images from her after connecting with her over social media.

In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for D'Elia has said, "Chris denies these allegations and will vigorously defend against them in court."

As per the lawsuit, D'Elia met Doe after she direct messaged him on Instagram and he invited her to come to a comedy show. Before they personally met, D'Elia allegedly asked for her Snapchat information. Following their initial exchange, he then asked for her nudes. Doe has asserted that he continually asked for her naked photos after which she complied.

And when they finally met, before a show at Connecticut's Foxwoods Resort Casino, Doe brought with herself a friend to meet D'Elia in his hotel room. But according to Doe’s testimony, D'Elia wouldn't open his hotel room door until her friend left.

During that first encounter, D'Elia "instructed Ms. Doe to get on the floor, take off his shoes and pants” and engage in explicit sexual activity. Following which, "approximately ten minutes after she arrived in his hotel room, Defendant D’Elia had sex with Ms. Doe.”

It went on to claim that Doe had made it clear to D'Elia that she was 17-years-old and in high school. They had another sexual encounter after the show, according to the complaint.

After their meeting, Doe says D'Elia requested more explicit images and in total, she sent him "more than 100 sexually explicit photos and videos" over six or seven months, with half of them sent while Doe was a minor. After 2015, Doe allegedly ceased most contact with the celebrity and blocked him on Snapchat in 2017.

Doe is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and an injunction that would bar him from possessing or taking any action with the photos of Doe. Read the complaint below:

News of the incident has arrived after multiple women posted allegations of sexual misconduct against D'Elia in the summer of 2020. Following this, CAA dropped the comedian as a client and Netflix scrapped an unscripted show that was set to co-star him. Tig Notaro also ended up replacing D'Elia in Zack Snyder's zombie film Army of the Dead.

D'Elia denied the claims in a statement reading, "I have never knowingly pursued any underage women at any point."

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