Roy Moore
Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore speaks at the Values Voter Summit of the Family Research Council in Washington, DC,on 13 October, 2017. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan/File Photo

The Republican House Speaker, Paul Ryan has called on their candidate for the Alabama senate seat to step aside, amid growing allegations of sexual assault.

Ryan is the most senior Republican to call for Roy Moore to move over, less than a day after Republican senate leader Mitch McConnell made a similar statement.

Speaker Ryan said that Moore "should step aside," adding that the various allegations were "credible".

Moore has denied claims he made sexual advances on several women between the ages of 14 and 18 while he was in his thirties. The explosive revelations were published by the Washington Post, which has interviewed more than 30 people who knew Moore between 1977 and 1982.

On Monday 13 November, another woman came forwards, claiming that Moore forced himself onto her when she was aged 16.

Beverly Young Nelson alleged that while driving her home, he stopped in a dark area, locked the doors and started to grope her. Nelson is the fifth woman to make such claims about Moore.

All eyes will now turn to Donald Trump to see whether he too will call for Moore to step aside.

Currently set to return from his tour of Asia, Trump attempted to distance himself from the Alabama politician, but may be forced to intervene upon landing in DC.

Moore, 70, is standing in the 12 December special election in Alabama for a seat in the US senate, and is currently expected to win against his Democratic rival Doug Jones.