Prosecutors in Los Angeles have said they will not charge comedian Bill Cosby after a woman claimed the veteran comedian molested her in the 1970s when she was 15.

Their rejection of a child sexual abuse charge comes about 10 days after Judy Huth spoke to detectives.

Comedian Bill Cosby
(Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP/PA)

Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office rejected filing a misdemeanour charge of annoying or molesting a child under the age of 18 because the statute of limitations had passed.

In a civil action, Huth has accused Cosby, 77, of forcing her to perform a sex act on him in a bedroom of the Playboy Mansion in 1974. Cosby’s lawyer has said Huth attempted to extort 250,000 dollars (£160,000) from the comedian before she sued.

Judy Huth
Judy Huth (Anthony McCartney/AP)