Photo of Asia Argento and accuser in bed surfaces

(Warning: This article contains content of a sexual nature)

Cape Town - #MeToo activist Asia Argento has denied claims that she sexually assaulted a young actor. 

The New York Times reported on Sunday that Argento settled a legal notice of intent to sue filed by Jimmy Bennett, who co-starred with her in a 2004 film. 

Bennett said in the notice that he had sex with Argento in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Marina del Rey, California, in 2013. The age of consent in California is 18.

On Tuesday Argento said that her late boyfriend Anthony Bourdain paid Bennet $380 000.

And now photos of Argento and Bennett in bed have surfaced. 

According to TMZ the four photos were taken by Bennett in a Marina del Rey hotel room in 2013. Sources told the publication that the pictures were taken after they had intercourse.

Along with the pictures TMZ also published text messages between Argento and a friend in which they discussed the allegations against her. 

One of the texts is a picture of a message Bennett wrote to her on the stationery of the hotel where they stayed at. 

He wrote: “Asia, I love you with all my heart. So glad we met again and I'm so glad you're in my life. Jimmy.”

In another message she said: “it wasn't raped (sic) but I was frozen. He was on top of me. After, he told me I had been his sexual fantasy since he was 12.”

On Monday the Los Angeles County sheriff's department said they are looking into the allegations against Argento. (Read more here)