James Toback is the second Hollywood powerhouse in a month to be outed as an alleged serial sex offender. On Sunday, (Oct. 22) the Los Angeles Times published a report that shares the stories of dozens of women who say they were sexually assaulted by director.

The Times' 2,700 word piece cites as many as 38 women who say that Toback [who is best known for writing the screenplay for the Oscar-winning film "Bugsy" and for directing "Two Girls and a Guy"] approached them selling dreams of a future in the industry, only to lure them into compromising situations. According to most accounts, the 72-year-old writer/director would introduce himself by making reference to his work on the big screen, before inviting them up to his apartment or a hotel room, where he'd work up a conversation on sex and relationships. Some women tell of Toback beginning to masturbate before their very eyes, while others told the times he'd begin to rub on their legs.

Actress and playwright Karen Sklaire currently works as a drama teacher in New York City. She recalls meeting with Toback back when she was trying to get put on, in 1997, and how he began grinding his genitals against her leg. Sklaire told the Times that she'd soon discover she wasn't the only one who'd had such an experience. “It’s a common thread among many women I know … after someone mentions they were sexually abused by a creepy writer-director, the response is, ‘Oh, no. You got Toback-ed,’” Sklaire says. “The numbers are staggering.”

Sunday's L.A. Times expose comes only weeks after the public learned of allegations of sexual harassment against producer Harvey Weinstein, that have circulated the industry for decades.

Source: latimes.com