Axl Rose Sued Over Alleged Sexual Assault by Former Penthouse Model

Axl Rose is being taken to court over a decades-old alleged sexual assault of a former Penthouse model ... who claims he dragged her "like a caveman" and violated her.

Sheila Kennedy -- who was Penthouse's Pet of the Year in '83 -- just filed suit against the Guns N' Roses frontman ... claiming he tied her up and anally penetrated her with his penis during a party in 1989.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Kennedy says she met Axl at an NYC club in February of that year and went back to a private party back at his hotel suite, which she notes was attended by a bunch of people who were allegedly doing drugs.

She claims Axl put the moves on her, which she says she was fine with at first -- that is, until he allegedly cleared the room so that it was just her, another female model and a pal of his left. Kennedy claims she witnessed AR have aggressive sex with the other model before fleeing to another bedroom with Axl's friend ... before things allegedly went south.

Per Kennedy, Axl flew into a rage with the other woman and booted her ... only to allegedly come to the other room and discover she was still there -- at which point, she claims he dragged her by the hair back to his bed, tied up her hands with pantyhose, and sexually assaulted her. Kennedy says she never consented and felt overpowered as it was happening.