Initially facing two charges of rape and one charge of criminal sexual act in the first degree, disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein was recently indicted with additional sexual assault charges against a third woman, who has not been publicly identified by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Although Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. declined to file criminal charges against Weinstein in 2015, he announced additional charges against Weinstein on Monday as more victims continue to step forward.
In May, Vance’s office charged Weinstein with three felonies – rape in the first degree, rape in the third degree, and a criminal sexual act in the first degree – after allegedly raping one woman in 2013 and forcing another to perform oral sex during a casting meeting at his Miramax office in 2004. On Monday, Vance issued a statement announcing additional charges against Weinstein, including another count of criminal sexual act in the first degree and two counts of predatory sexual assault, a Class A-II felony which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
According to the recent indictment, Weinstein is accused of forcibly performing oral sex on a third woman in July 2006.
“A Manhattan Grand Jury has now indicted Harvey Weinstein on some of the most serious sexual offenses that exist under New York’s Penal Law,” said District Attorney Vance. “This indictment is the result of the extraordinary courage exhibited by the survivors who have come forward. Our investigation continues. If you are a survivor of the predatory abuse with which Mr. Weinstein is charged, there is still time to pursue justice. Please call us at 212-335-9373.”
After his initial arrest, Weinstein paid $1 million bail and later pleaded not guilty to the original charges in June. With the new felony charges recently added, one of the most powerful men in Hollywood could spend the rest of his life in prison in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
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