YouTuber Syndicate denies claims of sexual assault

YouTuber Tom "Syndicate" Cassell has responded to allegations of sexual assault made by two women last weekend.

Content warning: this article includes descriptions of sexual assault.

One woman, speaking in a video posted to Twitter last Sunday, described an alleged encounter with Cassell in 2016 where the YouTube star is said to have continued to have sex with her despite being asked to stop as they were not using contraception.

The following morning, the same woman alleged, she was then taken to a pharmacy by one of Cassell's entourage to obtain emergency contraception, while Cassell himself sat in a car outside.

Another woman, who was in a relationship with Cassell in 2012, alleged a longer history of abuse. In a series of videos posted to Twitter the same day, she alleged Cassell had sexually harassed and assaulted her on a series of occasions during their relationship.

Today's response from Cassell described both women's accounts as "false allegations".

"This is character assassination by social media without evidence to support it or any justification," Cassell wrote in a statement shared on Twitter. "These two women have chosen to make horrendous allegations against me for reasons I do not understand, attempting to stage a public trial without giving me a chance to defend myself.

Regarding the first woman's claims, Cassell responded: "I did not pin her down, I did not use any force against her, I did not rape her. We discussed it and both agreed as a precaution that she would take the morning after pill."

On the claims by his former partner, Cassell said: "I was in a relationship with [the woman] in 2012 when we were both teenagers and I loved her very much. We never had a full sexual relationship because she made it clear that was not what she wanted and I respected that. The allegations she made against me are completely false. I know she has been through some tough times in her life and always considered her to be a good person, but these claims she has made against me are entirely wrong."

In 2016, Cassell hit the headlines after it was discovered he and fellow YouTube star Trevor "Tmartn" Martin had set up an online gambling site they promoted to their young audiences while not disclosing their ownership. Both escaped fines after an FTC investigation which set out tough rules for future infractions.

The allegations come as part of a fresh wave of #metoo experiences shared on social media. Earlier this week, multiple studios distanced themselves from writer Chris Avellone after allegations of harassment surfaced. Insomniac Games, developer of Marvel's Spider-Man, responded to a former employee's allegations of sexual harassment while at the studio. Overnight, Assassin's Creed Valhalla creative director Ashraf Ismail stepped down after a series of allegations surrounding his personal life and contact with fans.

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