The secret recording that caught Harvey Weinstein 'admitting to sexual assault'.

Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein appears to admit to sexual assault in an audio recording obtained and released by The New Yorker.

In March 2015, Filipina-Italian model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez filed a complaint with the New York Police Department, accusing the film executive of groping her breasts and putting his hand up her skirt in a meeting.

In a police recording captured during a NYPD ‘sting’ operation, a man The New Yorker allege is Weinstein can be heard asking Gutierrez to come into his bathroom for “a minute”. She protests – repeatedly – and tells Weinstein she “doesn’t want to”, that she doesn’t feel “comfortable” and litters the conversation with variations of “no”.

When Gutierrez presses, and says the reason she doesn’t feel safe is because he “groped” her breast the previous day, Weinstein appears to admit to the assault.

LISTEN: ‘Secret recording of Harvey Weinstein’ from the The New Yorker

“Oh, please, I’m sorry, just come on in,” the male voice says. “I’m used to that. Come on. Please.”

“You’re used to that?” asks Gutierrez.

“Yes. Come in… I won’t do it again, come on, sit here. Sit here for a minute, please?”

After the man continues to pressure her to come inside, and Gutierrez consistently refuses his offers, he warns her refusal to cooperate could “ruin” their “friendship”.

“I will never do another thing to you,” he says. “Five minutes. Don’t ruin your friendship with me for five minutes.”

Listen: We discuss everything there is to know about the allegations laid against Harvey Weinstein, on Mamamia Out Loud. Post continues after audio. 

The New York Police Department says the investigation in question did not support criminal charges.

“If we could have prosecuted Harvey Weinstein for the conduct that occurred in 2015, we would have,” Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Chief Assistant District Attorney, told The New Yorker.

“While the recording is horrifying to listen to, what emerged from the audio was insufficient to prove a crime under New York law, which requires prosecutors to establish criminal intent.”

“Subsequent investigative steps undertaken in order to establish intent were not successful.

"This, coupled with other proof issues, meant that there was no choice but to conclude the investigation without criminal charges."

In addition to releasing the recording, The New Yorker report told the stories of 13 different women who allege sexual misconduct by Weinstein, three of whom accuse the film executive of rape.

A further 16 former and current executives and assistants told reporter Ronan Farrow they “witnessed or had knowledge of unwanted sexual advances and touching at events associated with Weinstein’s films and in the workplace".

The piece comes less than a week after The New York Times revealed multiple allegations of sexual harassment against Weinstein, resulting in his sacking from his post at The Weinstein Company.