Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo was charged on Thursday with a minor sex crime for forceful touching according to a court spokesperson.
The charge is the first since the once-powerful politician was forced to quit earlier this year after a series of sexual harassment complaints surfaced.
“A misdemeanor complaint against former governor Andrew Cuomo has been filed in Albany City Court,” said Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the New York state courts, describing it as a “sex crime.”
Cuomo is accused of slipping his hand down the victim’s top and grabbing her left breast in December 2020, according to the lawsuit.
According to AFP, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office filed it on behalf of the state of New York.
Cuomo, 63, has been summoned to appear in Albany city court on November 17, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. (1830 GMT), according to a statement.
He resigned in August after a non-criminal report by state Attorney General Letitia James concluded that he sexually assaulted 11 people, including former staffers.
“From the moment my office received the referral to investigate allegations that former governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, we proceeded without fear or favor,” James said in a statement.
“The criminal charges brought today against Mr Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report,” she added.
Cuomo has categorically refuted the allegations, claiming that he is the victim of a political witch hunt.
Before his spectacular fall from favor last year, he was adored across the country for his straight-talking daily coronavirus briefings.
Forcible touching is a class A misdemeanor that can result in a one-year jail sentence.
