A lawyer is looking to open criminal investigations into allegations of sexual abuse he says his clients have made against T.I. and Tiny Harris, who have strongly denied the claims.
In the weeks since allegations against the couple were first made, attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn has been contacted by over 30 "women, survivors and witnesses" with "a myriad of allegations of forced drugging, kidnapping, rape, and intimidation," according to a release from his office that was obtained by PEOPLE.
The allegations "span over fifteen years" and are "eerily consistent," according to the release. The individual claims from his clients reportedly include allegations of being "coerced by Tiny to ingest drugs" or being "unknowingly administered drugs to impair the victims' ability to consent" to "sexual acts."
According to The New York Times, five women have told the newspaper that they have been drugged or sexually assaulted by T.I., 40, and Tiny, 45, or others "in their orbit."
Blackburn said he has sent letters to officials in Georgia and California, seeking to open investigations "under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and Georgia's Rape, Kidnapping, RICO, and Terroristic Threats Statues."
A rep for T.I. and Tiny did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, although the couple has previously "emphatically" denied claims of abuse made against them.
In a statement to The New York Times, a lawyer for T.I. and Tiny said they "deny in the strongest possible terms these baseless and unjustified allegations."
"We fully expect that if these claims are thoroughly and fairly investigated, no charges will be forthcoming," the pair's lawyer added. "These allegations are nothing more than the continuation of a sordid shakedown campaign that began on social media and now attempts to manipulate the press and misuse the justice system."
"On January 29, 2021, T.I. stated in an online video, 'Women who have been victimized deserve to be heard. Women, black women, in particular, should be supported, protected, defended, and uplifted.' I wholeheartedly agree, and that's why the criminal referrals were necessary," Blackburn said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
"If anyone is a victim or witness to the alleged sex crimes, contact us and be part of a movement to end this reign of depravity," Blackburn added.
On Monday, Blackburn will hold a press conference to discuss the letters sent to officials and he says a defamation suit will be brought on behalf of Sabrina Peterson, who — after alleging that T.I. and Tiny would force women to take drugs and have sex with them and that T.I. allegedly once held a gun to her head — was met by an unequivocal denial from a rep for T.I. and Tiny.
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"Mr. and Mrs. Harris want to be on record and more importantly want the public to know they emphatically deny in the strongest way possible the egregiously appalling allegations being made against them by Sabrina Peterson," the statement read. "The Harrises have had difficulty with this woman for well over a decade."
"[The couple is] taking this matter very seriously, and if these allegations don't end, they will take appropriate legal action," the rep added at the time.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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