Bill Cosby admitted buying sedatives 'for sex with women'

Comedian Bill Cosby admitted obtaining sedatives during the 1970s with the intent of giving them to women he wanted to have sex with, court records from a decade ago have revealed.

The files, obtained by the Associated Press after a legal battle, reveal Cosby made the comments during a sex abuse civil case brought by a woman in 2005.

The woman's lawyer asked him: "When you got the quaaludes, was it in your mind that you were going to use these quaaludes for young women you wanted to have sex with?" Cosby replied: "Yes."

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Asked whether he had given women the over-the-counter drug without their knowledge, Cosby's lawyer advised him not to answer, The Guardian reports.

However, Cosby did not admit to any criminal activity in his sworn testimony, and the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

The 77-year old actor's lawyers fought to keep the documents sealed, arguing that the contents would be "terribly embarrassing" for their client.

More than two dozen women have accused Cosby of sexual abuse, with many of the claims including allegations that he drugged and then raped them.

Cosby continues to deny the allegations, calling them "fantastical", and has never been criminally charged. The statutes of limitations for many of the allegations - some dating back four decades - have now passed.

One woman told the Washington Post that Cosby had a special briefcase with compartments for different pills. She said he told her the pills would help her "relax".

Another one of his alleged victims welcomed the publication of the files. "Finally, after all this time, we get the truth out of this man," said Barbara Bowman, a former model who alleges that Cosby sexually assaulted her in the 1980s.

"I have been screaming this story to an empty room for 30 years. It’s very validating."

Cosby’s lawyers have yet to comment on the release of the documents.