Cuba Gooding Jr. Hit With 12 New Sex Abuse Accusations

NEW YORK — Manhattan prosecutors revealed a dozen new sex-abuse allegations against Cuba Gooding Jr. as the actor pleaded not guilty to groping two women at New York City bars.

The 12 women have accused Gooding of groping and sexually harassing them in five states from 2001 to August of last year, according to a Monday court filing. Gooding touched women's breasts and buttocks, bit their shoulders and told one to "sit on my face (and) pee in my mouth," prosecutors said.

Prosecutors want the accusers to testify against Gooding if he faces a trial on four sexual abuse and forcible touching charges stemming from the two groping incidents in October 2018 and June of this year. Gooding pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday.

The "Selma" actor's defense team reportedly has two witnesses who say the touching never happened. Gooding's lawyer told the Associated Press he's "absolutely dumbfounded."

The bevy of new accusations largely took place at bars, restaurants and hotels in California, New York, Las Vegas, New Mexico and Texas, according to Assistant District Attorney Jenna Long's court filing outlining the incidents.

The women's testimony would help prosecutors prove Gooding groped the two recent Manhattan victims for his own sexual gratification, a necessary component of the criminal charges against him, Long wrote.

"His prior acts demonstrate that his contacts with their intimate parts are intentional, not accidental, and that he is not mistaken about their lack of consent," Long wrote.