SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington state Court of Appeals has ruled that a civil lawsuit brought against celebrity crab-boat captain Sig Hansen by his daughter can proceed.



SeattlePI.com reports the Division I Court of Appeals ruled Monday upholding a judge's 2017 decision to deny Hansen's motion to dismiss the case.



A 2016 lawsuit filed by his estranged daughter Melissa Eckstrom accuses Hansen of sexually abusing her in 1990 when she was about 2 years old. Now a family-law attorney in Seattle, Eckstrom claims that the alleged abuse led to major emotional problems.



The 52-year-old "Deadliest Catch" star who lives near Seattle has vehemently denied the accusations and said Monday that he would appeal the ruling.



Eckstrom's lawsuit echoes allegations Hansen's ex-wife leveled in 1990 during a custody battle.



After a trial in 1992, a King County judge found that Hansen hadn't abused Eckstrom.



Records show police arrested Hansen in 1990 but prosecutors declined to file charges, citing proof problems.