American photographer Bruce Weber called a ‘serial sexual predator’ as he faces five new accusations

Weber, who worked for Vogue and helped shape brands such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch, has been hit with more accusations

American fashion photographer Bruce Weber, who was accused of sexual harassment by a former model last year, faced five more accusations on Friday.

Weber, who worked for Vogue and helped forge the image of such brands as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch, had been accused of molesting Jason Boyce in December 2014.

‘Today we filed a new federal court lawsuit on behalf of five additional men, all models, with strikingly similar allegations against Mr Weber,’ Lisa Bloom, who is representing them, said in a statement.

‘The new case was filed under the federal sex trafficking law, which has recently been interpreted to prohibit ‘casting couch’ behavior in which a powerful person sexually exploits a vulnerable job applicant for his own sexual gratification,’ Bloom said.

Each of the five new men only identified themselves by their initials.  

The lawsuit calls Weber a ‘serial sexual predator’ who ‘exploited his prominence and influence to manipulate men into submitting to his sexual advances.’ 

'Today we filed a new federal court lawsuit on behalf of five additional men, all models, with strikingly similar allegations against Mr Weber,' Lisa Bloom, who is representing them, said in a statement. Bloom also represented Mark Ricketson and Jason Boyce (left and right)

‘Today we filed a new federal court lawsuit on behalf of five additional men, all models, with strikingly similar allegations against Mr Weber,’ Lisa Bloom, who is representing them, said in a statement. Bloom also represented Mark Ricketson and Jason Boyce (left and right)

In total, Weber has been accused by 21 models that all shared a similar ‘modus operandi,’ asserting that the photographer would implement a ‘breathing exercise’ that involved Weber fondling their genitals.

A model named A.J. claimed that he met with Weber during a shoot in Miami when the photographer instructed him to move his hands ‘wherever A.J. felt the “energy” of his body.’

‘A.J. guided his hand to his chest, shoulders, head, and abdomen. Then, Weber forcibly grabbed A.J’s genitals, and fondled A.J’s genitals briefly before A.J. backed away,’ the paperwork claims, according to the New York Daily News.  

The photographer was said to have told the models to ‘just relax and you’ll go far in this industry,’ Page Six reports. 

In total, Weber has been accused by 21 models that all shared a similar ‘modus operandi,’ asserting that the photographer would implement a ‘breathing exercise’ that involved Weber fondling their genitals. Weber pictured with Anna Wintour (left) and Naomi Campbell (right)

Weber was also known to have used his power in efforts ‘to blacklist them.’ 

‘These new allegations are outrageous,’ said the man’s lawyer, Jayne Weintraub. ‘Bruce Weber has never lured, recruited or forced anyone to do anything and has never inappropriately touched a model. This lawsuit is nothing more than a media-hungry lawyer’s attempt to extort Mr. Weber.’ 

‘This lawsuit is nothing more than a media-hungry lawyer’s attempt to extort Mr. Weber with false, fictitious and legally frivolous claims. We are confident that Mr. Weber will prevail against these false allegations; not just with words, but with evidence in a court of law.’ 

'These new allegations are outrageous,' said the man's lawyer, Jayne Weintraub. 'Bruce Weber has never lured, recruited or forced anyone to do anything and has never inappropriately touched a model. This lawsuit is nothing more than a media-hungry lawyer's attempt to extort Mr. Weber'

‘These new allegations are outrageous,’ said the man’s lawyer, Jayne Weintraub. ‘Bruce Weber has never lured, recruited or forced anyone to do anything and has never inappropriately touched a model. This lawsuit is nothing more than a media-hungry lawyer’s attempt to extort Mr. Weber’

Weber, along with Terry Richardson and Mario Testino, is one of the great fashion photographers to be accused of sexual assault in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

Major magazines with which they worked have since ended all collaboration.

Last year Mark Ricketson accused Weber of assaulting him during a 2005 photo shoot in New York.

‘He told me I ‘looked tense’ and proceeded to press his thumb on my forehead,’ Ricketson said during a press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday. 

‘He then took my hand and told me to ‘find the energy’ by guiding my hand and rubbing it on one of three places — my forehead, chest or my stomach.

‘Each time the ‘energy’ in my stomach would get lower and lower until I had to navigate the remaining space left before having to touch myself. I felt ashamed and embarrassed,’ he added. 

Ricketson was also joined by Jason Boyce, who filed a complaint against Weber on Friday following a December 2014 incident at his Manhattan studio. 

According to the complaint, Weber asked Boyce, then 28, to undress and then proceeded to fondle and forcibly kiss him.

‘If you just had confidence, you’d really go far,’ Weber is alleged to have murmured. ‘How far do you want to make it? How ambitious are you?’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk