Mike Tyson faces new sex assault accusation

Big Bear City, California - Authorities are investigating a woman's allegation that former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson sexually assaulted her at a rental home last week.

The woman contacted the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday and alleged she was sexually assaulted by Tyson a week earlier at a Big Bear City home he rents during training, sheriff's spokesperson Chip Patterson said on Friday.

There was no arrest and "we have not determined whether there was criminal wrongdoing," Patterson said.

Details from the alleged assault on July 16 weren't disclosed. The woman was examined at a hospital afterward, but those findings also were not disclosed, Patterson said.

"A female adult made an allegation to the sheriff's department that she had been sexually assaulted by Mike Tyson," Patterson said. "What we have at this point is an allegation that is being investigated."

Tyson, 35, who no longer is in the Big Bear area, about 110km east of Los Angeles, hasn't been interviewed.

"We are seeking to interview him," Patterson said. "There have been discussions with his attorney. We have not identified him as a suspect."

Tyson attorney Darrow Soll denied the allegations and said his client would co-operate with investigators.

"We believe the allegations are false and we look forward to working with the sheriff's office to resolve the investigation as quickly as possible," Soll said from his Phoenix office.

Tyson was quoted by the New York Post as saying: "I'm not aware of any allegations."

Earlier this month, Tyson apologised to a Big Bear Lake store owner for walking out of the shop with $25 (about R200) worth of sweets. The store owner reported what happened to the Sheriff's department, but it later was determined to be a misunderstanding, Patterson said.

Tyson served more than three years in an Indiana prison after being convicted in 1992 of rape and other charges. He has repeatedly fought abuse claims from women, including his first wife, actress Robin Givens. - Sapa-AP