US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is being sued by a woman who says he sexually abused her in 1965 when she was 12.

The lawsuit alleges that Dylan "exploited his status as a musician to provide [the plaintiff] with alcohol and drugs and sexually abuse her multiple times".

It says the abuse took place at Dylan's apartment in New York's Chelsea Hotel.

Dylan's spokesman told the BBC that "the 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended".

The lawsuit was filed last Friday with the New York Supreme Court under the state's Child Victims Act.

The accuser who currently lives in the state of Connecticut is only identified by her initials, J.C,

She said the singer, 80, had caused her "severe psychological damage and emotional trauma", and is seeking unspecified damages.

Dylan, who was born Robert Allen Zimmerman has sold more than 125 million albums around the world during a career spanning six decades.

In 2016, he was given the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first songwriter to win the prestigious award.