After years of sexual assault accusations piling up against Bill Cosby, a jury in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania has found the comedian guilty on three charges related to sexual misconduct.
The Philadelphia born entertainer was found guilty on Thursday of penetration with lack of consent, penetration while unconscious, and penetration after administering an intoxicant. Cosby is reportedly facing a maximum ten year sentence in prison and a possible $25,000 fine for each count according to NBC News.
The 80-year-old Cosby’s guilty verdict comes during what was the second trial in court. The initial case from this past June resulted in a mistrial as jurors could not reach a unanimous decision on Cosby’s fate which left the prosecution disappointed but still kept the door open for a retrial.
The accuser, Andrea Constand, claims that 14 years ago Cosby sexually assaulted her during the time she was employed at Temple University in Philadelphia. Cosby was a mentor to Constand at the time. Following these accusations of sexual assault and drugging, more than 50 women came forward with similar stories against Cosby related to drugging his victims and forcing sexual intercourse.
According to reports, the retrial differed from the previous trial because the judge allowed 5 new accusers to come forward to tell their stories that were similar to the description Constand gave of her personal experience with Cosby. In 2006, as part of a confidentiality agreement, the Fat Albert creator paid Constand a reported $3.38 million in exchange for her not to bring up charges against Mr. Cosby.
The man who once was the most prominent Black father on the small screen for his role as Cliff in the television series The Cosby Show has seen his reputation permanently tainted with this guilty verdict.
The jury decision has also been seen as the first major win during the #MeToo era that has brought to light many similar offenses by prominent figures in Hollywood and beyond. Cosby will reportedly be sentenced later this year.
