Summary: Bill Cosby has been convicted of sexually assaulting Temple University employee Andrea Constand.
In the era of #MeToo, one of the biggest names in entertainment has been brought to justice.
On Thursday, comedian Bill Cosby, 80, was convicted of the 2004 sexual assault of Andrea Constand, and the jury verdict possibly ended Cosby’s decades-long reign of unchecked misbehavior.
Almost 60 women have accused Cosby of drugging and raping them over the past decades, but only Constand’s claim was able to be prosecuted because it still fit the statute of limitations. Other women such as model Janice Dickinson have pending civil lawsuits filed against the star of the beloved sitcom “The Cosby Show.”
Thursday’s verdict was part of Cosby’s retrial, and a jury heard six women testify that the comic actor had drugged and assaulted them. Cosby did not testify, but a police officer read his 2006 deposition in a civil case brought on by Constand for the 2004 sexual assault. In the deposition, which was sealed until a few years ago, Cosby admitted to giving Constand quaaludes before their sexual encounter.
Constand said that in 2004 she went over to Cosby’s home in Philadelphia, and he had drugged and sexually assaulted her when she was unconscious. She filed a complaint at the time with local police, who did not pursue criminal charges, so she sued him in civil court. The two parties eventually settled for over $3 million.
The jury’s reading of the verdict caused an emotional stir within the courtroom from his accusers, according to NBC News.
Cosby is out on bail until his sentencing. He was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Constand, and he faces ten years in prison and fines for each count.
Cosby was tried for the same offense last summer, but the trial resulted in a mistrial because of a hung jury. Months later, the takedown of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein kicked off the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, which created a national discussion about sexual predators and their victims.
According to NBC News, Cosby lashed out at the prosecution after they said they wanted his bail revoked. Lead prosecutor Kevin Steele said that the megarich Cosby was a flight risk, and Cosby lashed out, calling Steele an “asshole.”
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steven O’Neill refused the prosecution’s request to lock up Cosby until sentencing, citing that because of his age and medical condition he was unwilling to put him in jail for now. Instead, Cosby was ordered to surrender his passport and stay at home.
Cosby has admitted to sexual relations with his accusers, but he has maintained that the sex was consensual.
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