Virginia Roberts’ ex-boyfriend claims Prince Andrew abused her

Virginia Roberts’ ex-boyfriend has claimed Prince Andrew destroyed their relationship.

Anthony Figueroa, 39, said Jeffrey Epstein’s former ‘sex slave’ told him about her alleged experiences with the royal.

He claimed Ms Roberts, who was 17 at the time of the supposed encounter and was seeing him, said she ‘didn’t want to do it’.

She alleges Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17, which he denies, and is suing for unspecified damages.

Anthony Figueroa (pictured with Ms Roberts in around 2000), 39, said Jeffrey Epstein’s former ‘sex slave’ told him about her alleged experiences with the royal

He claimed Ms Roberts, who was 17 at the time of the supposed encounter and was seeing him, said she 'didn't want to do it'

He claimed Ms Roberts, who was 17 at the time of the supposed encounter and was seeing him, said she ‘didn’t want to do it’

Ms Roberts and Mr Figueroa were childhood sweethearts but only got together three years later and moved to a flat in Palm Beach, Florida.

But he claims Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein manipulated them and pushed his ex into a ‘bad place’.

He claimed she would jet off on the Lolita Express to his island Little St James and he would not see her for up to two weeks.

Ms Roberts and Mr Figueroa were childhood sweethearts but only got together three years later and moved to a flat in Florida

Ms Roberts and Mr Figueroa were childhood sweethearts but only got together three years later and moved to a flat in Florida

Mr Figueroa also said he went to the ‘house of horrors’ in Palm Beach, where he saw women he now believes were the financier’s victims.

But he pointed the finger at Prince Andrew for what ruined his relationship with the accuser.

He said a photograph of the royal with his arm around her at Maxwell’s house in Kensington still haunted him.

He told the Mirror:  ‘I didn’t see the photo of her with Andrew until after we split. It still p***** me off to think about it because from the times she got back from seeing him, things were different. That was what ended us.’

He went on: ‘I’m not in contact with her, but I’m proud of what Virginia is doing. Andrew needs to be questioned by the authorities here. He should face up to it.’

The restaurant worker, who now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, added: ‘Being royal makes no difference. Andrew has to face up to the case.’

Prince Andrew’s team has been contacted for comment on the latest claims by Mr Figueroa.

It comes as Prince Andrew’s effort to block the progression of the lawsuit on the grounds that she no longer lives in the US – was rejected by a federal judge.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, in a written order Friday, told the prince’s lawyers they must turn over documents on the schedule that has been set in the lawsuit brought in August by Ms Roberts.

She says she was abused by the prince on multiple occasions in 2001 while she was being sexually abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein. The prince’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, has called the lawsuit ‘baseless.’

The order was filed three days before the scheduled public release Monday of a 2009 settlement agreement between Epstein and Giuffre.

Lawyers for Andrew say that the agreement protects the prince from claims like those brought by Giuffre and will be sufficient grounds for the lawsuit’s dismissal.

Prince Andrew was seen for the first time on Friday since his friend Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of child sex trafficking

Prince Andrew was seen for the first time on Friday since his friend Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of child sex trafficking

Virginia Giuffre - the woman who claims she was forced to sleep with Prince Andrew when she was 17 - could be set to give a victim impact statement to a New York judge for the sentencing of Ghislaine Maxwell. She is pictured with her lawyer, David Boies

Virginia Giuffre – the woman who claims she was forced to sleep with Prince Andrew when she was 17 – could be set to give a victim impact statement to a New York judge for the sentencing of Ghislaine Maxwell. She is pictured with her lawyer, David Boies 

The prince’s lawyers had claimed that the evidence was so strong that Giuffre does not reside in the US that it was pointless to exchange evidence until that question is resolved because it could result in the lawsuit’s dismissal.

They argued that Giuffre has lived in Australia all but two of the past 19 years, has an Australian driver’s license and lives in a $1.9 million home in Perth, Western Australia, where she has been raising three children with her husband, who is Australian.

In a statement, Giuffre attorney Sigrid McCawley called the request to halt the case ‘just another in a series of tired attempts by Prince Andrew to duck and dodge the legal merits of the case Virginia Giuffre has brought against him.

Andrew admits he has no proof over infamous claim he can’t sweat 

Prince Andrew suffered a setback in his US sex case, after admitting he has no proof over his infamous claim he cannot sweat and also seeing the judge throw out an attempt to stall the case.

Lawyers for his accuser, who is suing the prince for damages in a New York civil case, have demanded he hand over evidence he does not perspire, as he said in a car crash Newsnight interview two years ago when denying her allegations.

But his legal team said ‘no documents exist in his possession, custody or control’ to back the claim.

All parties in litigation are subject to discovery and Prince Andrew is no exception.’

Kaplan, in a one-page order, noted that the prince’s lawyers have requested that ‘extensive’ materials be turned over by Giuffre by January 14, including documents related to where she has lived.

And he said the prince’s attorneys have not yet formally raised the defense that the lawsuit cannot proceed on the grounds that Giuffre has been living in Australia rather than Colorado, where her lawyers say she is a resident.

In the cover page of a lawsuit in September 2015, Giuffre listed her address as Penrose, Colorado.

In the cover letter of an April 2019 lawsuit, she listed her address as Palm Cove, Australia, and marked a box as ‘citizen or subject of a foreign country.’

But in her lawsuit against the prince, she listed her address as Ocean Reef, Western Australia, but checked a box that said ‘citizen of another state.’

Kaplan’s order expressed no opinion on the merits of the prince’s claims that Giuffre should be disqualified from suing because she lives in Australia.

Oral arguments via a video teleconference on the prince’s request to dismiss the case are scheduled for Monday morning.

In October, the prince’s lawyers attacked the lawsuit on multiple grounds, saying Giuffre had made false claims against Andrew because he ‘never sexually abused or assaulted’ her.

‘Giuffre has initiated this baseless lawsuit against Prince Andrew to achieve another payday at his expense and at the expense of those closest to him.

Epstein’s abuse of Giuffre does not justify her public campaign against Prince Andrew,’ the written arguments said.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

His former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, 60, was convicted Wednesday of charges including sex trafficking and conspiracy after a month-long trial.

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