Seven Women Accuse West Ham Co-Chair David Sullivan of Sexual Misconduct

London: Seven women have accused billionaire businessman and West Ham United co-chair David Sullivan of historical sexual misconduct and abusing his position of power, according to a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times.

The women, who were in their late teens or early twenties and seeking modelling work at Sullivan's Daily Sport and Sunday Sport newspapers, alleged that he used his influence to pressure them into sexual acts by promising career opportunities. The claims, spanning several decades from the 1980s onwards, include allegations of forced intercourse, demands for sexual favours in exchange for work, and an incident in which a woman said she was locked in a room after rejecting his advances. The investigation also reported that Sullivan had admitted to paying for sex in the 1990s with a girl he believed was 16 or 17 years old.

Sullivan, 77, has categorically denied all allegations, describing them as "factually incorrect and entirely false" and insisting that the decades-old claims relate to his personal life. Hours after the investigation was set to be published, he resigned as joint chair of West Ham United, saying he wanted to focus fully on contesting what he called fundamentally unfair accusations.

The allegations have intensified scrutiny of one of English football's most prominent owners, whose wealth was built through newspaper publishing, adult entertainment ventures and investments in the sport.