Harvey Weinstein Could Serve Life in Prison After New Felony Charges
The once-powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was indicted on three additional felony sex charges Monday afternoon, which could have him facing up to a life in prison.
The Manhattan District Attorney office announced Monday that Weinstein, 66, has been charged with an additional count of a criminal sexual act in the first degree for forcing a woman to perform oral sex on him in July of 2006. He has also been charged with two counts of Predatory Sexual Assault.
All three new charges are considered Class A-II felonies and could lead him to face a potential sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
In May, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Weinstein on charges of rape in the first and third degree, and committing a criminal sexual act in the first degree in incidents that involved two separate women, allegedly occurring in 2004 and 2013. He pleaded not guilty to these charges in June with his attorney, Ben Brafman, stating, “Weinstein has always maintained that he has never engaged in nonconsensual sexual behavior with anyone…He has entered a plea of not guilty and fully expects to be exonerated.”
District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr said in a statement that the new indictments have Weinstein on some of the most “serious sexual offenses that exist under New York’s Penal Law.” He added that the “indictment is the result of the extraordinary courage exhibited by 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.”
With no new court date announced, Weinstein is currently out on a $1 million dollar bail and is set to make a court appearance in September.