Elijah Wood has claimed that the organised sexual abuse of children is rife in Hollywood.
The Lord of the Rings star, who has been acting since he was eight years old, spoke openly about a sex abuse scandal similar to that of Jimmy Savile in the UK.
The 35-year-old told the Sunday Times that although he was protected as a child - because his mum stopped him from going to parties where the incidents occurred - many other children were apparently preyed upon.
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"You all grew up with Savile - Jesus, it must have been devastating," he said.
"Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organised.
"There are a lot of vipers in this industry, people who only have their own interests in mind. There is a darkness in the underbelly - if you can imagine it, it's probably happened."
Wood said that such abhorrent crimes in the industry will continue to go unpunished because the voices of the victims are not as loud as those in power.
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"That's the tragedy of attempting to reveal what is happening to innocent people. They can be squashed, but their lives have been irreparably damaged."
The actor's claims have been backed by Anne Henry, the co-founder of Bizparents - an organisation set up to help young actors.
Anne claims that 100 active abusers are currently being protected and that there is a "tsunami" of abuse claims emerging.
If you feel you've been a victim of child abuse, you can contact the Victim Support helpline for free on 08 08 16 89 111.
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Words by Liam Bond
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Hollywood