Terry Richardson scandal rumors: Celebrity photographer and Miley Cyrus pal Terry Richardson is described by the NewStateman as “the fashion world’s open secret.” The 48-year-old lensman has shot A-list personalities including President Barack Obama, Justin Bieber and Madonna, but is now being accused for using his influence to harass female models.

The New Statesman noted that fashion commentator Caryn Franklin described Richardson as someone who “appears to leverage his position to ignore professional boundaries when he posts images of himself having explicit sex with young women.”

In Harriet Williamson’s report on the New Statesman, she cited several women who worked with Richardson in the last few months and were unhappy with the experience. One of them is Sarah Hilker, who was 17-years-old when she first met the photographer in 2004. Back then, she was using a fake ID to attend a “model search” party for the pin-up community, Suicide Girls. Richardson was the photographer for the event.

Hilker said that Richardson “was probably the worst type of person to photograph me....the images he chose to take at the event were very crass and lewd.” The former model described a weird production line, where girls were pushed to undress and play with Richardson for the camera.

“There were young women so drunk they could barely stand, never mind be of sound mind to sign a model release form,” Hilker said.

“In one corner there was a literal pile of SG bras and panties and the other was a small table with model release forms. Some stranger immediately grabbed me and whisked me over to the panties pile meanwhile, another person came over to me and shoved a model release form in my face. They had no interest in seeing my I.D. or even asking me any questions. I was being pushed towards the front of the line to go shoot with their panties and a blank model release form in my hands. I hadn't even had time to get undressed to put them on."

Hilker argues that agencies and companies should not affiliate themselves with a person that mistreats women, who are their biggest consumers.

 "That being said, I also wish that more women were educated and prepared to deal with the hardships that come along with the industry's coldness, the power of saying the word, 'No', with the conviction of walking away, and not regretting it,” Hilker tells New Statesman.

This was not the first-time Richardson was put on the spotlight for reportedly questionable behavior. In 2010, former model Jamie Peck told The Gloss that during a shoot with Richardson, the photographer asked her to remove her tampon so he could play with it. After refusing, he decided to get naked.

“Before I could say ‘whoa, whoa, whoa’ dude was wearing only his tattoos and waggling the biggest dick I’d ever seen dangerously close to my unclothed person,” Peck said.

HipHop Wired noted that given Richardson’s reputation for being a racy photographer, none of the reports should come as a shock to the models. But as many of the models who have complained of the lensman’s behavior has urged, companies should stop condoning his practices by continually needing his services.