Comedian Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to ten years in state prison on Tuesday for sexual assault.
Judge Steven O’Neill declared 81-year-old Cosby a “sexually violent predator” in a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, court for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. O’Neill also denied the comedian’s request for bail, although Cosby can appeal this decision.
The judge praised Constand, a former women’s basketball administrator at Temple University, for her bravery during her victim impact testimony.
Cosby’s defense attorneys had argued that his old age and full blindness meant he did not pose a violent threat to anybody. Prosecutors had asked for a 5- to ten-year prison sentence on Monday.
However, O’Neill’s decision signifies the once-beloved comic — formerly regarded by many as “America’s Dad” — will now have to register as a sex offender and participate in obligatory counseling for life.
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Psychologist Kristen Dudley stated on Monday that Cosby displayed symptoms of a mental disorder and could probably reoffend.
In total, more than 60 women have accused the former Cosby Show star of sexual assault or harassment sometime over the last four decades. Like Constand, many other women have claimed Cosby also drugged them. The comedian was known for mentoring many young aspiring actresses and models.
Former actress Kathy McKee — one of Cosby’s accusers — told CNN on Tuesday she was “happy the judge sentenced him accordingly,” and also lauded Constand for “standing strong.”
Several women noted on social media that Cosby’s sentence marks the first conviction of of the #MeToo era, which began late last year. The movement has since seen dozens of powerful men in Hollywood and many other industries fall from grace after accusations of sexual harassment or assault.
Cosby was initially arrested in 2015, although a mistrial was declared in June 2017 after the jury became deadlocked. He had already been found guilty in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault.
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