Convicted rapist, Harvey Weinstein has been hit with six new counts of forcible sexual assault, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday.
The disgraced film mogul, who is serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape, is accused of alleged LA attacks between 2004 and 2010.
The 68-year-old was charged with three additional forcible rape felonies and three forcible oral copulation charges stemming from alleged attacks between 2004 and 2010 in Beverly Hills. The new criminal complaint expands the LA case to a total of five victims, authorities said.
Weinstein is now facing a total of 11 counts of sexual assault in Los Angeles County involving five women.
If convicted as charged in Los Angeles, the once-powerful Hollywood mogul faces up to 140 years to life in state prison, according to Friday’s statement.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said the latest accusations helped prosecutors built a “compelling criminal case” against Weinstein.
“I am thankful to the first women who reported these crimes and whose courage have given strength to others to come forward,” Lacey said in a statement.
“The willingness of these latest victims to testify against a powerful man gives us the additional evidence we need to build a compelling criminal case,” she added.
Weinstein’s spokesman, Juda Engelmayer, told CNN on Friday that he could not comment on the additional charges until he learned more about them.
“Harvey Weinstein has always maintained that every one of his physical encounters throughout his entire life have been consensual. That hasn’t changed,” Engelmayer said. (lindaikejisblog)
