Five male models have come forward to claim that the photographer Bruce Weber exploited or sexually assaulted them, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in New York.

The five plaintiffs, who are referred to by initials in the lawsuit, were all aspiring models at the time of their interactions with Mr. Weber. The complaint calls Mr. Weber a “serial sexual predator” and says he conducted “breathing exercises” at both photo shoots and at his private home studio, in which he touched the men and insinuated that he could help their careers if they complied. It describes the exchanges as a form of fraud.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs also describe Mr. Weber’s actions as sex trafficking, after a judge in a lawsuit alleging sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein ruled that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act could apply to “casting couch” scenarios.

“It’s considered a commercial sex act because the person who applied is hoping to get a job,” said Lisa Bloom, of the Bloom Firm, which represents the five models.