Top football agent denies rape and trafficking amid US lawsuit
Jonathan Barnett has been accused of sex trafficking and rape in a civil case in the US. The former sports agent, who strenuously denies the allegations, is claimed to have trafficked a woman from Australia to London in the summer of 2017 after making initial contact on LinkedIn.
According to court documents, submitted in California and seen by Mirror Football, Barnett, 75, allegedly used the woman as 'a sex slave' for a number of years and left her with 'a chronic injury that will last her entire lifetime.'
The claim is calling for Barnett, who represented some of British football's biggest names before retiring suddenly in March last year, and the ICM Stellar agency to stand trial in front of a jury in a civil court for a range of allegations that fall under the American Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorisation Act.
In a statement Barnett said: 'The claims made in today's complaint against me have no basis in reality and are untrue. We will vigorously defend this lawsuit through the appropriate legal process. I am looking forward to being entirely vindicated and exonerated.'
Stellar are included in the claim because they allegedly 'knowingly conspired, aided and abetted, and facilitated Barnett's sex trafficking venture through actions that occurred in the state of California.' The agency did not respond to a request for comment.
Barnett is accused of telling the woman she must only refer to him as 'My Master' while overseeing alleged abuse that left the complainant 'tortured, injured, raped, and violently assaulted.'
The 63-page complaint includes graphic descriptions of alleged incidents involving urine and faeces.
It claims she was instructed to behave like a dog, would be handcuffed and forced to wear a tight collar, and 'her skin was often infected from the cuts, welts and bleeding' caused by physical abuse.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
35 minutes ago
- STV News
Former Lord Provost sentenced for stalking campaign against ex-partner
A former Lord Provost of Glasgow who bombarded his ex-partner with texts and social media messages has been banned from going near her for five years. Philip Braat was also ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work and fined £840. The 49-year-old of the city's Broomhill was sentenced at Glasgow Sheriff Court where he had earlier pleaded guilty to a single charge of stalking. Braat contacted the woman 122 times between July and September 2024. The court heard that the pair entered a relationship in 2021 and went on to live together. The woman told Braat that she was ending the relationship in July 2024. She received an email the next day from Braat, which included a purported resignation letter to his employer sent from his professional account. Prosecutor Paige Phillips said: 'The woman thought that this was fake and to get her attention as well as to make her feel guilty.' She later contacted Braat to emphasise the end of their relationship during a 'very emotional and distressing' call. The woman also stated that she did not love him and wanted to get on with her life. Braat attempted to persuade her that the pair should be together and stated that he could 'not live' without her. He said: 'You better visit my parents and you better keep my legacy alive.' The woman believed that this was in reference to Braat ending his life, and he said: 'I don't want to live without you.' When asked if it was in reference to ending his life, Braat replied: 'Maybe.' Between July and September, the woman received 18 emails, 51 Instagram messages, 15 text messages, 37 WhatsApp messages, and a LinkedIn message. Some of the emails contained 'goodbye' letters to the woman and Braat's own family. The woman contacted the police, and Braat was traced to his parents' address, where he was found 'safe and well'. Braat's LinkedIn message, congratulating her on a professional award she received, resulted in the woman going to the police. She stated that the messages were not nasty, but there was 'no escape' from Braat, and she could 'not cope any longer'. Braat gave a 'no comment' interview to the police after his arrest. Solicitor advocate Andrew Seggie, defending, told the court: 'He was at a low point and felt suicidal, and his focus was on winning the woman back during the period of the charge. 'As a result of the passage of time, he accepts his behaviour overstepped the mark. He is genuinely remorseful. 'He was the Lord Provost during the pandemic, and he said he felt additional pressure to assist those who lost loved ones as a result of the pandemic, together with his own constituents. 'He was trying to manage this and juggle his own family issues, and the end of the relationship caused him to suffer a mental health breakdown during this period.' Sheriff Owen Mullan imposed the five non harassment order banning Braat from approaching or contacting the woman for the next five years. The unpaid work must be completed within six months. Sheriff Mullan said Braat's behaviour had 'overstepped the mark' and that it would have been 'stressful' for the woman. Braat has represented the Anderston/City/Yorkhill ward since 2007 and is subject to an investigation by Scottish Labour. He was the deputy Lord Provost in 2017 before taking on the senior role in 2020 until 2022. He left the position after the 2019 resignation of Eva Bolander amid criticism of her expenses claims. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Former Lord Provost of Glasgow banned from going near ex-lover he hounded
SHAMED POLITICIAN Former Lord Provost of Glasgow banned from going near ex-lover he hounded Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER Lord Provost of Glasgow who bombarded his ex-partner with texts and social media messages in a bid to win her back has been banned from going near her for five years. Philip Braat was also ordered today to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work and fined £840. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Philip Bratt was sentenced today at Glasgow Sheriff Court Credit: Alamy The 49-year-old, of the city's Broomhill, was sentenced at Glasgow Sheriff Court. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a single charge of stalking. The court heard how he had contacted the woman 122 times between July and September 2024. The pair started dating in 2021 and went on to live together. The woman told Braat that she was ending the relationship in July 2024. She received an email the next day from the councillor which included an apparent resignation letter to his employer sent from his professional account. Fiscal Paige Phillips said: "The woman thought that this was fake and to get her attention as well as to make her feel guilty." She later contacted Braat to emphasise the end of their relationship during a "very emotional and distressing" call. The woman also stated that she did not love him and wanted to get on with her life. Braat attempted to persuade her that the pair should be together and stated that he could "not live" without her." Listen to chilling audio as creepy Catfish stalker uses voice-change app on dating scam victim He said: "You better visit my parents and you better keep my legacy alive." The woman believed that this was in reference to Braat ending his life and he said: "I don't want to live without you." When asked if it was in reference to ending his life, Braat replied: "Maybe." Between July and September, the woman received 18 emails, 51 Instagram messages, 15 text messages, 37 WhatsApp messages and a LinkedIn message. Some of the emails contained "goodbye" letters to the woman and Braat's own family. The woman contacted the police, and Braat was traced to his parents' address, where he was found "safe and well." Braat's LinkedIn message, congratulating her on a professional award she received, resulted in the woman going to the police. She stated that the messages were not nasty but there was "no escape" from Braat and she could "not cope any longer." Braat gave a "no comment" interview to police after his arrest. Solicitor advocate Andrew Seggie, defending, told the court: "He was at a low point and felt suicidal and his focus was on winning the woman back during the period of the charge. "As a result of the passage of time, he accepts his behaviour overstepped the mark. He is genuinely remorseful. "He was the Lord Provost during the pandemic and he said he felt additional pressure to assist those who lost loved ones as a result of the pandemic together with his own constituents. "He was trying to manage this and juggle his own family issues and the end of the relationship caused him to suffer a mental health breakdown during this period." Sheriff Owen Mullan today imposed the five non harassment order banning Braat from approaching or contacting the woman for the next five years. The unpaid work must be completed within six months. Sheriff Mullan said Braat's behaviour had 'overstepped the mark' and that it would have been 'stressful' for the woman. Braat has represented the Anderston/City/Yorkhill ward since 2007 and is subject to an investigation by Scottish Labour. Braat was the deputy Lord Provost in 2017 before taking on the senior role in 2020 until 2022. He left the position after the 2019 resignation of Eva Bolander amid criticism of her expense claims. Braat was also the former convener of the Strathclyde Police Authority (SPA) and represented Glasgow at COP26. Braat was a member of the Law Society of Scotland, an honorary captain in the Royal Navy Reserves, and a member of the Glasgow Tree Lovers' Society.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Former Glasgow Lord Provost stalked ex-partner and bombarded her with texts
Philip Braat was banned from going near the woman for five years. A former Lord Provost of Glasgow who bombarded his ex-partner with texts and social media messages in a bid to win her back has been banned from going near her for five years. Philip Braat was also today ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work and fined £840. The 49 year-old, of the city's Broomhill, was sentenced at Glasgow Sheriff Court. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a single charge of stalking. The court heard how he had contacted the woman 122 times between July and September 2024. The pair started dating in 2021 and went on to live together. The woman told Braat that she was ending the relationship in July 2024. She received an email the next day from the councillor which included an apparent resignation letter to his employer sent from his professional account. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Fiscal Paige Phillips said: "The woman thought that this was fake and to get her attention as well as to make her feel guilty." She later contacted Braat emphasise the end of their relationship during a "very emotional and distressing" call. The woman also stated that she did not love him and wanted to get on with her life. Braat attempted to persuade her that the pair should be together and stated that he could "not live" without her." He said: "You better visit my parents and you better keep my legacy alive." The woman believed that this was in reference to Braat ending his life and he said: "I don't want to live without you." When asked if it was in reference to ending his life, Braat replied: "Maybe." Between July and September, the woman received 18 emails, 51 Instagram messages, 15 text messages, 37 WhatsApp messages and a LinkedIn message. Some of the emails contained "goodbye" letters to the woman and Braat's own family. The woman contacted the police and Braat was traced to his parents' address where he was found "safe and well." Braat's LinkedIn message, congratulating her on a professional award she received resulted in the woman going to the police. She stated that the messages were not nasty but there was "no escape" from Braat and she could "not cope any longer." Braat gave a "no comment" interview to police after his arrest. Solicitor advocate Andrew Seggie, defending, told the court: "He was at a low point and felt suicidal and his focus was on winning the woman back during the period of the charge. As a result of the passage of time, he accepts his behaviour overstepped the mark. He is genuinely remorseful. "He was the Lord Provost during the pandemic and he said he felt additional pressure to assist those who lost loved ones as a result of the pandemic together with his own constituents. He was trying to manage this and juggle his own family issues and the end of the relationship caused him to suffer a mental health breakdown during this period." Sheriff Owen Mullan toda imposed the five year non harassment order banning Braat from approaching or contacting the woman for the next five years. The unpaid work must be completed within six months. Sheriff Mullan said Braat's behaviour had 'overstepped the mark' and that it would have been 'stressful' for the woman. Braat has represented the Anderston /City/Yorkhill ward since 2007 and is subject to an investigation by Scottish Labour. Braat was the deputy Lord Provost in 2017 before taking on the senior role in 2020 until 2022. He left the position after the 2019 resignation of Eva Bolander amid criticism of her expenses claims. Braat was also the former convener of the Strathclyde Police Authority (SPA) and represented Glasgow at COP26. Braat was a member of the Law Society of Scotland, an honorary captain in the Royal Navy Reserves, and a member of the Glasgow Tree Lovers' Society.
