Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison for sexual assault

NORRISTOWN, Pa., Sept 25 (Reuters) – Bill Cosby was sentenced on Tuesday to three to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman, capping the once-beloved comedian's fall from “father of 'America' to that of a convicted criminal.

Cosby, 81, was convicted in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for the drug and sexual assault of his former friend Andrea Constand, a former Temple University administrator, at her home from Philadelphia in 2004.

He was the first celebrity to be convicted of sexual abuse since the start of the #MeToo movement, the national malpractice reckoning that has brought down dozens of powerful men in entertainment, politics and other industries. areas.

His lawyers have already promised to appeal this conviction.

Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Steven O'Neill also ruled to designate Cosby a “sexually violent predator” under Pennsylvania law.

Under this designation, Cosby will have to undergo monthly counseling and register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life. Neighbors and schools will be informed of his address and his crimes.

More than 50 other women have also accused Cosby of sexual abuse dating back decades, with most of the complaints too old to prosecute. The Constand case was the only allegation that led to criminal charges.

On Monday, the first day of the sentencing hearing, Constand said in a written statement submitted to the court that the attack had transformed her into a woman “stuck in a holding pattern for most of her life.” adult life, unable to fully heal or move forward.”

“Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy, young mind and crushed it,” she wrote.

Prosecutors had sought a maximum prison sentence of between five and 10 years, citing the nature of Cosby's crime as well as his alleged history of misconduct. They also asked the judge to fine Cosby $25,000 and make him pay court costs. If he were to be granted parole, prosecutors wanted him to submit to a “psychosexual evaluation” that he had refused before sentencing.

Citing Cosby's frailty and blindness, Cosby's lawyers had requested house arrest rather than prison time.

Cosby's first trial in 2017 ended in a mistrial when jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Shortly after this proceeding, a series of women began making allegations of sexual misconduct against influential men, launching the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements that encouraged victims to speak out about their experiences. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Tom Brown)