Bob Dylan denies sexually abusing 12-year-old girl in 1965

Bob Dylan vehemently denies sexual abuse claims made just before "look back window" closed under New York State's Child Victims Act.

The case is one of the thousands being brought in New York ahead of the look back window closing which saw Prince Andrew sued for sexual assault by claimant Virginia Giuffre, as well as claims being made against the Catholic church.

Bob Dylan's spokesman told the BBC that, "the 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended".

The Nobel Prize-winning singer, now 80-years-old, is being accused of assault, battery, false imprisonment, and infliction of emotional distress.

Per the BBC, the legal case brought by the woman alleges that the musician, "exploited his status as a musician to provide [her] with alcohol and drugs and sexually abuse her multiple times", and used threats of physical violence.

NPR reports that the complaint was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on behalf of the woman, who is referred to only as J.C. It alleges that the much-loved star, "befriended and established an emotional connection with the plaintiff, J.C., to lower her inhibitions with the object of sexually abusing her, which he did." 

J.C claims that the alleged abuse occurred over a six-week period between April and May 1965 at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. The well-known hotel is where Dylan, who was then in his early 20s, had an apartment.

The accuser J.C., who is now 68-years-old and lives in the state of Connecticut, said the singer had caused her "severe psychological damage and emotional trauma." She is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.

Back in 1965, despite still being so young, Bob was already a well-known and respected figure. He used his remarkable musical prowess as both a writer and performer to give a voice to the Civil Rights and anti-war movements.

In his career, he's received many Grammy's, the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Bob, whose birth name was Robert Allen Zimmerman, has sold over 125 million albums in his lifetime. Despite his huge success and cultural impact, Dylan has never had a number one single in the UK or US.