A prolific sports agent has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman more than 39 times.
The complainant, who has a legal right to anonymity, claimed she was trafficked from Australia to the UK in 2017, before being “tortured” and “kept as a sex slave”. Court documents have listed her as a Jane Doe.
According to court documents, Barnett and the woman first met in the 1990s but reconnected in 2017, leading to her moving to the UK with her teenage children. The suit claims Barnett’s agency covered her relocation costs. Shortly after arriving, she says Barnett told her he “owned” her and raped her in a hotel room.
Sports agent Jonathan Barnett has been accused of trafficking and raping a woman more than 39 times.placeholder image
Sports agent Jonathan Barnett has been accused of trafficking and raping a woman more than 39 times. | Getty Images
The lawsuit details graphic allegations, including being forced to refer to Barnett as “My Master,” subjected to violent sexual acts, and enduring threats and beatings. The woman says she was tied up overnight without food or water, forced to drink urine and ingest feces, and trafficked to multiple countries, including the US, over several years.
It also claims Barnett sent emails from his work account calling her his “slave” and used his wealth and influence to control her through fear.
Her lawyers describe the case as one of “institutional abuse at the highest level” and are seeking damages.
A spokesperson for Barnett’s legal team said: “We will vigorously defend this lawsuit through the appropriate legal process. I am looking forward to being entirely vindicated and exonerated.”
Ranked as the world’s most powerful sports agent by Forbes in 2019, Barnett is not facing criminal charges at the time of publication.
Court documents added: “Realising she was powerless against a dangerous predator, Ms Doe submitted to Barnett in order to avoid being severely beaten or even killed.”
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