A lawyer named Tyrone A. Blackburn — who represents 11 people who say they were victimized by rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka "Tiny" Harris, along with members of their entourage — is seeking a criminal investigation into claims of sexual assault and abuse lodged against the couple.
The New York Times reports that four of the represented women have accused T.I. and his wife of drugging and sexually assaulting them, while two have accused the couple of rape, stemming from incidents in Georgia and California, where Blackburn has sent letters seeking a criminal inquiry.
Speaking with NYT, five of the couple's accusers detailed their experiences with T.I. and Tiny, explaining that they "deployed drugs, alcohol, money and their celebrity status to prey on and entrap women for sexual abuse, and then threatened violence against anyone who might speak out."
Allegations began circulating on social media in recent months, which led to the involved individuals claiming accounts of "sexual abuse, forced ingestion of illegal narcotics, kidnapping, terroristic threats and false imprisonment," as well as "instances of nonsexual intimidation, assault and harassment" beginning in 2005 and taking place as recently as 2018.
So far, several of Blackburn's clients have remained anonymous, but in a letter addressed to state and federal prosecutors obtained by NYT, he wrote that the accusers "are prepared to speak with investigators and prosecutors from your office."
The Harris family have denied all accusations, according to their lawyer, Steve Sadow, who said the allegations were "baseless and unjustified."
"We fully expect that if these claims are thoroughly and fairly investigated, no charges will be forthcoming," Sadow said in a statement on Friday (February 26). "These allegations are nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media and now attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system."
Prior to Blackburn's legal campaign, T.I. responded to the allegations posted to social media in an Instagram video, saying that all of his sexual interactions were consensual.
The New York Times reports that four of the represented women have accused T.I. and his wife of drugging and sexually assaulting them, while two have accused the couple of rape, stemming from incidents in Georgia and California, where Blackburn has sent letters seeking a criminal inquiry.
Speaking with NYT, five of the couple's accusers detailed their experiences with T.I. and Tiny, explaining that they "deployed drugs, alcohol, money and their celebrity status to prey on and entrap women for sexual abuse, and then threatened violence against anyone who might speak out."
Allegations began circulating on social media in recent months, which led to the involved individuals claiming accounts of "sexual abuse, forced ingestion of illegal narcotics, kidnapping, terroristic threats and false imprisonment," as well as "instances of nonsexual intimidation, assault and harassment" beginning in 2005 and taking place as recently as 2018.
So far, several of Blackburn's clients have remained anonymous, but in a letter addressed to state and federal prosecutors obtained by NYT, he wrote that the accusers "are prepared to speak with investigators and prosecutors from your office."
The Harris family have denied all accusations, according to their lawyer, Steve Sadow, who said the allegations were "baseless and unjustified."
"We fully expect that if these claims are thoroughly and fairly investigated, no charges will be forthcoming," Sadow said in a statement on Friday (February 26). "These allegations are nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media and now attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system."
Prior to Blackburn's legal campaign, T.I. responded to the allegations posted to social media in an Instagram video, saying that all of his sexual interactions were consensual.
