Rape Case Against Magician Copperfield Put on Hold

U.S. District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle issued a six-month stay in the lawsuit filed in July by a woman alleging magician David Copperfield sexually assaulted her while she visited his private island in the Bahamas.

The stay, which was requested by Copperfield's attorney, effectively halts legal proceedings until the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle completes their criminal investigation into the woman's claims, the Seattle Times reports.

The claimant, a former Miss Washington USA contestant, alleged that the 52-year-old illusionist raped her after inviting her as a guest to his $50 million island in July 2007. The woman says she met Copperfield during a performance.

The woman filed the lawsuit shortly before a two-year statute of limitations on civil lawsuits was to expire.

Copperfield's lawyer requested the stay in the civil suit, arguing that his client was being put in the position of having to garner information in the civil case that could be used against him in a forthcoming criminal prosecution.

Among the richest entertainers in the world, the magician denies the sexual assault claims and says that the women is looking for monetary gain at the expense of his reputation.

According to Washington state law, an individual convicted of first degree rape faces a minimum prison sentence of three years.