“Others like him have to know that women will report them. We have to stop the cycle”, says first alleged victim to take legal action.

Yasmine Kittles, of the electronic duo Tearist, filed a sexual battery complaint against former Life or Death PR CEO Heathcliff Berru this Tuesday.

The complaint is the first legal action taken against the publicist following multiple accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct made in January. The news was first reported on CBS LA and then shared by Kittles in a Facebook post.

“After seeing how many women came forward after us I knew I had to do something more than just comment about it,” said Kittles, “He has to be stopped and others like him have to know that women will report them. We have to stop the cycle. It will not be easy, and it’s scary as hell. But we have the power to change things… if we want to”.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has said in a statement to Billboard that the LADP will investigate Kittles’ complaint and depending on their findings will forward their results to the DA’s office for possible felony charges or the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office for possible misdemeanor charges.

Kittles first accused Berru of sexual assault in January, saying on Twitter, “in 2009 he grabbed my ass and then held me down onto my couch as he unzipped his pants &forced my hand on his dick”.

In a statement, Berru apologized for his actions stating he was entering rehab and was “deeply sorry for those who I have offended by my actions and how I have made certain women feel. If I crossed the line of decency or respectfulness in situations when I was drunk and under the influence, there is no excuse, of course.”

Kittles has previously stated that Berru had not been drinking the night of the alleged assault. In a statement to the press, Kittles’ lawyer stated that substance abuse should not be an excuse for Berru’s illegal actions.

“What Mr. Berru does not say in his statement is that his actions were also illegal. While we believe anyone struggling with substance abuse should seek immediate professional assistance it is never — and I quote, never — an excuse for abusing women,” he said.

Watch the news report below.