In an amazing turn of events, a federal complaint alleging New York Knicks owner James Dolan of sexual assault and sex trafficking has been dismissed by a California District Court judge. The case, which was making headlines for months, has now been resolved, leaving many issues unresolved.
Kellye Croft, a female massage therapist, filed the lawsuit alleging that Dolan sexually abused her in 2013 while his band was on tour with the Eagles. Croft claimed that Dolan flew her to California under the pretense of massage therapy jobs, but then sexually abused her.
In a twist involving another high-profile figure, Croft said Dolan introduced her to convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein. According to the lawsuit, Weinstein assaulted her following this meeting. The connection between Dolan and Weinstein created further concerns about the strong men engaged in this case. Crafts also alleged Sex trafficking.
Croft’s charges of sex trafficking have been dismissed with prejudice by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson, which means the case cannot be refiled. However, her claims of sexual abuse against Dolan, Weinstein’s sexual assault, and facilitating sexual assault by Dolan were rejected without prejudice, allowing her to pursue these claims separately in a new lawsuit.
The court dismissed James Dolan’s sex trafficking charges after U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson determined that the claims did not meet the legal requirement under federal sex trafficking laws. The judge decided that the details submitted in the lawsuit did not provide sufficient evidence that Dolan’s activities were sex trafficking under federal law. As a result, this part of the complaint was dismissed “with prejudice,” which means it cannot be pursued again.
Croft’s legal team has stated that they disagree with the court’s decision on the sex trafficking accusation. They want to appeal, believing that a higher court will overturn the ruling. Croft is still pursuing sexual assault accusations against Dolan and Weinstein, so this case is far from over.
