Billionaire Leon Black has been hit with a federal lawsuit accusing him of raping an autistic 16-year-old girl in 2002 at Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan townhouse, as reported by the Washington Post. The lawsuit alleges that Epstein and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, trafficked the girl to Black.

The victim, now in her 30s, claims that she was pinned down by Black and sexually abused with sex toys, causing her to bleed. She also alleges that she was routinely abused by both Epstein and Maxwell.

Black, who co-founded private equity firm Apollo Global Management, has an estimated net worth of $10.1 billion, according to Forbes. His lawyers have vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing them as "vicious and defamatory lies" brought forth by a law firm with a vendetta against Black.

They argue that the allegations violate the statute of limitations and are uncorroborated. This is not the first time Black has faced sexual assault allegations. Two other lawsuits against him were previously dismissed. However, the current lawsuit claims that the alleged incident took place 20 years ago when the victim was just 16 years old.

The lawsuit highlights the disturbing connection between Black, Epstein, and Maxwell. Epstein, a convicted sex offender and financier, died by suicide in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019. He had ties to numerous prominent political and business figures, many of whom distanced themselves from him following his arrest.

Maxwell, who was found guilty of sex trafficking, is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida federal prison. In addition to the rape allegations, Black's financial dealings with Epstein have also come under scrutiny. A separate investigation is looking into payments totaling $158 million that Black made to Epstein between 2012 and 2017.

Last week, Black agreed to pay $62.5 million to the US Virgin Islands to resolve investigations into Epstein's sex-trafficking ring. The lawsuit filed by the victim, who uses the pseudonym Jane Doe, is significant as it was made possible by the Adult Survivors Act, which removed the statute of limitations for sexual misconduct in New York.

The victim's lawyers see this case as an opportunity to seek justice for their client and all sexual assault survivors. As the legal battle unfolds, it remains to be seen how Black will respond to the allegations and whether they will have lasting consequences on his reputation and wealth.