Saudi prince no longer facing felony charges in Los Angeles sex case

 Saudi prince is no longer facing felony assault charges but could still face a misdemeanor as the Los Angeles city attorney's office reviews a woman's complaint that the royal tried to force her to perform a sex act on him, authorities said Tuesday.

Prince Majed Abdulaziz Al-Saud -- originally arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, false imprisonment and battery -- was released last month on $300,000 bail in connection with the September 23 incident.

The city attorney's review comes after the Los Angeles County district attorney's office referred the case to municipal authorities, officials said. County prosecutors found insufficient evidence to file felony charges, said spokeswoman Jane Robison.

The case is being evaluated for a possible misdemeanor filing, said Frank Mateljan, spokesman for the city attorney's office.

The investigation began after police were called to a home, where they interviewed numerous people on September 23, Los Angeles police said.

Separately, three women are suing the Saudi prince, alleging assault, battery, sexual harassment and false imprisonment at his home in Beverly Hills, also on September 23, according to the lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles County court.

Stephen Larson, an attorney for the prince, called the suit baseless.

"These allegations, brought for no other purpose than to extract money, are as baseless as they are salacious," Larson said. "The district attorney carefully considered these claims and declined to bring any charges; we anticipate that the civil lawsuit will end similarly, with a finding that all of these claims are legally and factually meritless."

The three women in the civil suit are identified only as Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3 in court papers, and the prince is also identified as Majed bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The three worked for the prince in his home over three days during which other servants, a retired Los Angeles police detective and security personnel were present, said Vadim Frish, an attorney for the women.

In court papers, the three women said that at parties over three days the prince "was using cocaine throughout the course of their employment." They also alleged the prince engaged in heavy drinking and arranged for escorts to come to the home on September 22.

That evening, the prince allegedly threatened the three in the dining room, where he acted "in a sexual and aggressive manner" with one of them and told the women, "I am a prince and I do what I want! You are nobody!" according to court papers.

"Plaintiffs, afraid for their lives, ran to the balcony to escape Al Saud," court papers said. "While on the balcony, one of Al Saud's assistants yelled at the plaintiffs to get back to work."

On September 23, the prince forced two of the women to watch a man engage in a sex act with him, court papers said. Later that day, police were called to the home, and officers interviewed the three women, Frish said.

"While waiting outside, plaintiffs saw (the prince's girlfriend) and another female with bruises and blood on their face and body. They were shaking and crying," court papers said. "Plaintiffs are in fear for their lives and believe that Al Saud will have them killed."

The three women were not paid for their three days of work, Frish said Tuesday.