Billionaire associate of Sarah Ferguson accused of bankrolling sex trafficking ... trends now

A billionaire associate of the Duchess of York has been accused of bankrolling a sex trafficking ring in a US lawsuit.

Trammell Crow, 72, who Sarah Ferguson has reportedly struck up a friendship with, is alleged to have financed the enterprise which led to two women being abused.

The Texan property tycoon and environmental philanthropist, who is worth £6bn, is accused of a string of lurid claims in the court papers filed in California.

The allegations came as Fergie, 63, tries to rehabilitate her image with a US tour to promote her new novel.

In interviews with the American media she has repeatedly praised her former husband Prince Andrew, who was accused of having sex a 17-year-old victim of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York's association with Epstein, who ran a sex trafficking operation involving underage girls, forced him to retreat from public life and continues to haunt him.

The lawsuit was filed by two women, Julia Hubbard and Kayla Goedinghaus against Mr Crow and his associates in a court in November.

They claimed that the ring was run by a man called Richard Hubbard with the 'with the essential financial assistance and influence' of Mr Crow.

Fergie and Mr Crow are said to have bonded over their shared interest in environmental issues - their friendship was first reported at the beginning of the month.

The lawsuit claims that Mr Hubbard used 'force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion to compel Hubbard and Goedinghaus to engage in commercial sex acts'.

The case was filed under

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