NEW YORK CITY, New York - An actor and comedian widely known for his nearly nine-year stint on "Saturday Day Night Live" has been accused of sexually assaulting a teenager nearly 20 years ago. 

According to CNN, a woman has filed a lawsuit in New York against actor Horatio Sanz, saying he groomed and sexually assaulted her in 2002, when she was 17 years old.

Legal documents refer to the plaintiff as Jane Doe, as she's chosen not to reveal her identity. 

In the lawsuit, Doe is said to have started "posting on various online websites, message boards and chat rooms about SNL" in 1999 when she was 14 years of age.

The following year, the lawsuit continues, Sanz and one of his colleagues got in touch with her by email.

The lawsuit alleges that shortly after this initial contact, Sanz "began his process of grooming Plaintiff."

Legal documents say the then 31-year-old star met the teen in-person in October of 2000 after a taping of the show.

According to CNN, Sanz is accused of engaging with the minor on AOL Instant Messenger in 2001 and steering those "conversations to discuss sex, sexual experiences, sexual activities, sexual fantasies, (and) masturbation" with the then-16-year-old, and "continued to solicit inappropriate photographs" of her.

In May 2002, the lawsuit alleges Sanz sexually abused the then-17-year-old by "kissing her, groping her breasts, groping her buttocks, and digitally penetrating her genitals forcibly and without Plaintiff's consent" at and after SNL parties.

Sanz's attorney, Andrew Brettler, denies the claims.

The lawsuit also names NBCUniversal and SNL Studios as defendants, CNN reports, saying that both NBC and SNL "permitted and enabled" Sanz to abuse the girl.