Second woman accuses Virginia lt. gov.

NORFOLK, Va. — A second woman has now come forward accusing Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, saying he raped her in 2000 while they were students at Duke University.

Meredith Watson released details of the assault through her attorney.

In a statement, her attorneys wrote that Watson “immediately” told friends after the incident that Fairfax had raped her. She also shared her account with friends in a series of emails and Facebook messages that the law firm now says it has.

“Mr. Fairfax’s attack was premeditated and aggressive,” the statement reads. “The two were friends but never dated or had any romantic relationship.”

“At this time, Ms. Watson is reluctantly coming forward out of a strong sense of civic duty and her belief that those seeking or serving in public office should be of the highest character,” said her attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, in a statement Friday. “She has no interest in becoming a media personality or reliving the trauma that has greatly affected her life. Similarly, she is not seeking any financial damages.”

Watson wants Fairfax to resign from office, Smith said.

Fairfax’s spokeswoman, Lauren Burke, said, “We’re calling for an investigation on all of these matters,” according to The Washington Post. She said Fairfax would have further response later.

Watson’s account comes on the heels of a lengthy statement from Vanessa Tyson, who has accused Fairfax of sexually assaulting her 15 years ago.

In an article published Friday, The New York Times reported that Tyson told five friends about the assault in different degrees of detail over the past two years.