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Prince Andrew flies back to UK amid underage sex allegations

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The woman who says she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was underage was named by the British Press over the weekend.

Miss Virginia Roberts, 30, stated in US court papers that she was  a "sex slave" for the prince's former friend, billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. 

She claims Prince Andrew, who is fifth in line to the British throne, had "sexual relations"  with her when she was 17 – a minor under Florida law where the court papers were filed.

One of the occasions was at an orgy with other underage girls on Epstein’s private Caribbean island, as well as in a private house in London and in Epstein’s New York mansion.

Mail Online reported that The Duke of York appeared in public yesterday  for the first time since the allegations broke last week.

He was shown leaving a £22,000-per-week (S$44,949) Swiss chalet where he had been staying with his daughter Princess Eugenie.

He is expected to arrive back in UK for crisis talks with The Queen.

The allegation came in a civil case against  Epstein who has served an 18-month prison sentence for soliciting a minor for prostitution..

The case began in 2011, and back then Prince Andrew apologised for his friendship with Epstein.

In the court papers Miss Roberts went under the alias, "Jane Doe 3". But over the weekend, British papers revealed her identity and published pictures of her, including one of her standing next to the prince.

Buckingham Palace, which in an unprecedented move, released four public statements fiercely denying the claims - one of Friday and two on Saturday and one on Sunday. 

One of the statements, reported The Guardian, read: “This relates to long-running and ongoing civil proceedings in the United States to which the Duke of York is not a party. As such we would not comment in detail. However, for the avoidance of doubt, any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue.”

It is thought to be unlikely that the prince will take legal action against Miss Roberts.

However, The Telegraph reported that if Miss Roberts were to make a formal complaint against Prince Andrew, he may be investigated by police.

Sources: The Guardian, Mail Online, Telegraph