LOS ANGELES —An Italian model-actress met with Los Angeles police detectives for more than two hours Thursday morning, providing a detailed account of new allegations that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her at a hotel in 2013.

She is the sixth woman to accuse Weinstein of rape or forcible sex acts. Los Angeles police Capt. Billy Hayes confirmed that the department has launched an investigation into the matter.

It is the first case related to Weinstein to be reported in Southern California. New York police already have two active sex crime probes and London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating allegations made by three women.

The new allegation could be legally troubling for Weinstein because it falls within the 10-year statute of limitations for the crime that existed at the time of the alleged incident, legal experts say.

It could “open the door to a prosecution if the evidence exists,” said defence attorney Dmitry Gorin, a former L.A. sex crimes prosecutor. Until now, most of the allegations against Weinstein that could lead to criminal charges concerned incidents that are more than a decade old.

Weinstein has “unequivocally denied” allegations of non-consensual sex, according to his representative, Sallie Hofmeister. She could not be immediately reached for comment about the latest allegation.

In the latest case, the 38-year-old woman, who has asked not to be named because she is fearful of retaliation and concerned about protecting her children’s privacy, first contacted police on Tuesday, through her attorney, David Ring. Two detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division’s rape special section took her statement on Thursday.

She told the Los Angeles Times that the incident occurred at Mr. C Beverly Hills hotel after she attended the 8th annual Los Angeles, Italia Film, Fashion and Art Fest in February 2013. She had previously met Weinstein once, briefly, in Rome after being introduced by an acquaintance. At that time, he invited her up to his hotel room, but she said she declined. She said they spoke briefly at the film festival, but he didn’t appear to recall meeting her.

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Later, he showed up “without warning” in the lobby of her hotel. He asked to come up to her room. She said she told him no and offered to meet him downstairs, but soon, he was knocking her door.

“He . . . bullied his way into my hotel room, saying, ‘I’m not going to f--- you, I just want to talk,’ ” the woman told the Los Angeles Times. “Once inside, he asked me questions about myself, but soon became very aggressive and demanding and kept asking to see me naked. He grabbed me by the hair and forced me to do something I did not want to do. He then dragged me to the bathroom and forcibly raped me.”

Rebecca Sun, an editor from The Hollywood Reporter, discusses the latest avalanche of allegations against Harvey Weinstein, including reactions from Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. (The Associated Press)

She told her attorney she tried to dissuade Weinstein by showing him pictures of her children.

After about 45 minutes, Weinstein departed.

“When he left, he acted like nothing happened,” the woman said. “I barely knew this man. It was the most demeaning thing ever done to me by far. It sickens me still . . . He made me feel like an object, like nothing with all his power.”

At the time, she said was afraid to report Weinstein, but did tell a priest, a friend and a nanny what had happened. She said she decided to come forward at the urging of her children. She said her son told her, “You just need to be strong, Mom.”

“All these years I’ve been thinking why I didn’t call the police immediately,” she said. “I regret that I opened the (hotel) door.”

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Her attorney, Ring, one of L.A.’s top sex abuse attorneys, said she is fully co-operating with the LAPD.

Delevingne says in a lengthy Instagram post that Weinstein brought up sexual subjects during more than one business meeting and also tried to get Delevingne to kiss a woman in front of him. (The Associated Press)

The model-actress, who was 34 at the time, is well known in Italy where she appeared on the cover of Italian Vogue and as an actress in Italian films.

The woman was living in Italy with her three children at the time of the alleged attack, but has since moved to Southern California.

The allegations could also bolster a New York police investigation into a report Weinstein forced an aspiring actress in 2004 to perform oral sex on him as the L.A. cases involves similar acts. Lucia Evans told the New Yorker he assaulted her during a meeting at his Miramax office.

Since a New York Times story first revealed allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein earlier this month, more than 40 women — actresses, studio workers and models — have accused Weinstein of inappropriate behaviour ranging from harassment to rape. Actresses Asia Argento, Rose McGowan, Lysette Anthony and Evans have all publicly stated they were raped or forced to perform a sex act by Weinstein. An unnamed woman also told the New Yorker he allegedly raped her. Eight women have received civil settlements over the years from him or his companies related to his conduct, The New York Times reported.