'MythBusters' Host Adam Savage Accused of Rape: What to Know

The alleged abuse happened in the late-1970s when both were children

Pacchiana claims the alleged abuse began in 1976 when she was 7 years old and Savage was 9. The lawsuit accuses Savage of forcing oral sex upon Pacchiana and forcing her to perform oral sex on him "along with other forms of sexual abuse." She claims Savage called himself the "raping blob" to make the alleged rape sound like a game, according to the lawsuit obtained by Fox News. Pucchiana is seeking to "recover for the emotional and physical suffering she incurred and to make sure that no other child is forced to suffer the abuse and physical and mental trauma she felt and continues to feel."

Pacchiana's attorney said the abuse caused 'irreparable damage'

Pacchiana's attorney Antigone Curtis praised Pacchiana for coming forward, as well as other alleged victims of child abuse thanks to the Child Victims Act. Her lead attorney, Jordan Mersin, added, "The prolific abuse by Mr. Savage as alleged in the complaint has caused irreparable damage to my client that she will live with for the rest of her life. Today is the first step in the direction of healing and justice."

Savage denied the allegations

Savage has denied the allegations and said he hopes his sister can "find peace." He noted that Pucchina has "relentlessly and falsely attacked me and other members of my family to anyone who will listen" for several years. "By spreading numerous untrue stories about us in pursuit of a financial bonanza, she has tortured our entire family and estranged herself from all of us. I will fight this groundless and offensive lawsuit and work to put this to rest once and for all," the Mythbusters star said.

Their mother said Pacchiana suffers from 'severe mental health challenges'

Karen Savage, Pacchiana and Savage's mother, also denied the allegations in a statement to Fox News. "It makes me very sad to say this, but my daughter suffers from severe mental health challenges," Karen said. She called it "devastating" that Pacchiana is "putting Adam and our entire family through this. Adam is a good man, and I support him completely." Savage is one of six siblings, and he and Pucchiana are the only two from their parents' marriage. His older siblings are from his parents' previous marriages.

Pacchiana is a social worker who hasn't had contact with Savage in 20 years

Pacchiana now works as a social worker and publishes a blog at The Second Wound. In her most recent post, published on June 30, Pacchiana said she has not spoken to Savage in over two decades. When she did, she "called him out for his callous attitude about the abuse and his apparent disregard for the damage he had caused, but he chose not to acknowledge or show any compassion for my pain." Since then, she has not seen any "evidence that my brother cares to truly understand what he did to me," Pacchiana wrote. "He gives me no reason to believe that he has meaningfully examined whatever compelled him to commit sexual crimes as a minor."

She later wrote that she will "never wake up one morning and stop being a survivor of child rape. I will always feel the impact of my brother's abuse, including trust issues and nightmares that I live with to this day. What I hope to change, standing alongside so many other brave survivors, is to initiate an honest look at the epidemic of sexual abuse."

Pacchiana's attorneys cited the Child Victims Act for making it possible to file a lawsuit

Pacchiana's legal team cited the New York Child Victims Act (CVA), which extended the statute of limitations on cases involving child sexual abuse, allowing them to file a lawsuit pertaining to alleged events more than four decades ago. Before the law was passed, survivors only had at least five years to file a civil lawsuit against alleged abusers after the victim turned 18. Now, the CVA allows survivors to file lawsuits until they are 55 years old, according to the New York City Bar.

"Because of the NY Child Victims Act, I finally have the opportunity to pursue justice for the crimes my brother committed against me," Pacchiana wrote on her blog. "While nothing can give back what Adam Savage took from me, I hope this lawsuit will also demonstrate to my fellow survivors that we do not deserve to carry the shame of sexual abuse and assault."