- By Regan Morris in Los Angeles and Max Matza
- BBC Information
Picture supply, Getty Photographs
Danny Masterson seen with spouse Bijou Phillips on 31 Could previous to his conviction
A choose in Los Angeles is because of determine the jail sentence for US actor Danny Masterson, who was convicted in Could of raping two girls within the early 2000s.
The star of That ’70s Present, a TV sit-com sequence, faces as much as 30 years or life in jail.
Prosecutors argued Masterson, 47, had relied on his standing as a outstanding Scientologist to keep away from accountability.
Masterson was discovered responsible at a re-trial after the primary jury was unable to achieve a verdict in 2022.
On Thursday, Choose Charlaine Olmedo will enable the victims to ship influence statements earlier than the sentencing.
The sentencing listening to started at 08:30PDT (16:30GMT). His spouse, Bijou Phillips, was seen getting into courtroom with relations because the listening to acquired underway.
Previous to the sentencing listening to, a movement for a brand new trial by Masterson’s defence crew was denied by the choose, in response to an LA courtroom official.
The actor was convicted on 31 Could after three girls testified that he had sexually assaulted them at his Hollywood house from 2001-03 – in the course of the top of his tv fame.
The jury heard testimony that he had given them medicine earlier than he assaulted them.
He was discovered responsible of rape towards two of his three accusers. The costs introduced by the third accuser had been declared a mistrial and prosecutors mentioned they don’t plan to retry the case.
After his conviction, Masterson was deemed a flight danger and was taken into jail custody.
Masterson was first accused of rape in 2017 in the course of the top of the #MeToo motion. He denied the accusations and mentioned every of the encounters was consensual.
Costs got here after a three-year investigation by the Los Angeles Police Division. Prosecutors didn’t file fees in two different circumstances due to inadequate proof and the statute of limitations expiring.
All through the trial, prosecutors argued that the Church of Scientology had helped cowl up the assaults – an allegation the organisation has categorically denied.
On the time of the assaults, Masterson and all three of his accusers had been Scientologists. A number of of the ladies mentioned it took them years to come back ahead as a result of Church of Scientology officers discouraged them from reporting the rape to police.
Scientology officers informed one survivor she could be kicked out of the Church except she signed a non-disclosure settlement and accepted a fee of $400,000 (£320,000), in response to prosecutors.
Throughout the trial, Choose Olmedo allowed either side to debate the dogma and practices of Scientology, angering the non secular neighborhood.
In its assertion after the decision, the Church mentioned there was “not a scintilla of proof supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers”.
