The-Dream Sued by Ex-Protégé for Alleged Sexual Battery, Abuse, Trafficking

The-Dream is facing a number of troubling allegations -- including sexual battery, abuse and trafficking -- in a new lawsuit from a woman who claims she was his former protégé.

The artist -- who is best known for writing music for Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Mariah Carey, not to mention his own music -- is being sued by Chanaaz Mangroe, who claims the producer lured her into a relationship with false promises of launching her singing career but ended up subjecting her to "violent sexual acts and vicious psychological torture."

Per the docs, obtained by TMZ, Mangroe -- who says she was raised in the Netherlands -- was thrilled when The-Dream offered to sponsor the extension of her work visa in 2014 ... allowing her to further grow her career in the U.S.

Yet, Mangroe goes on to describe a nightmare scenario in her lawsuit ... claiming The-Dream used his influence and age to control her for over a year in what she says amounted to a very abusive, violent and manipulative relationship.

She alleges she was locked in a dark room where The-Dream "violently" had sex with her, leaving her naked and alone "for hours on end" before returning for another encounter.

The aspiring singer goes on to claim she was "frequently strangled" by Dream during their sexual encounters ... almost losing consciousness on a number of occasions.

She also claims Dream recorded some of the sexual acts with her ... allegedly using the footage as a means to keep her silent.

Mangroe claims Dream controlled all aspects of her life in the U.S., keeping tabs on her at all times by checking her location and demanding constant updates.

Despite alleged promises of a music career, Mangroe claims her career was upended -- noting her music was taken away without explanation and that Dream's record label never compensated her for the work she did under them.

As for why she's speaking out now ... she says, "Ultimately, my silence has become too painful, and I realized that I need to tell my story to heal. I hope that doing so will also help others and prevent future horrific abuse."

Mangroe’s lawyers Douglas H. Wigdor and Meredith Firetog, tell TMZ …“This is yet another horrific example of how men in the music industry use their power and influence to manipulate and harm others."