The American comedian Bill Cosby admitted trying to pay women to keep quiet after having sex with them, according to testimony obtained by the New York Times.

The newspaper says Mr Cosby made the deposition 10 years ago. A lawsuit was lodged by a former university worker in Philadelphia who claimed he drugged and molested her.

Mr Cosby, now 78, is facing a series of sexual assault accusations. He has denied the claims. Court papers unsealed earlier this month showed that he admitted giving drugs to women with the aim of having sex with them.

The New York Times says it has obtained the deposition on which those court papers were based, in which more details are given. Mr Cosby was questioned for four days in 2005 and 2006 in a Philadelphia hotel, and the deposition of close to 1,000 pages was formed.

The case was brought by Andrea Constand, a former employee of Temple University - the Philadelphia college with which Mr Cosby was once closely associated.