Entertainer Bill Cosby charged with indecent assault

@theindpanorama

9 years ago

MONTGOMERY, PENN (TIP): Bill Cosby was arrested & arraigned today, December 30, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on a charge of aggravated indecent assault in a 2004 case brought by former TempleUniversity employee Andrea Constand.

Single charge of aggravated indecent assault
Incident occurred at Cosby’s home in 2004
Victim “frozen, paralyzed, unable to move”
Charge punishable by five to 10 years behind bars and a $25,000 fine
Arraigned, doesn’t enter plea
Out on $1million Bail Bond

The 78-year-old disgraced entertainer has denied all the charges and has fought the lawsuits brought against him. Cosby is still married to his wife, Camille.

Cosby did not enter a plea, and bail was set at $1 million. A preliminary hearing has been set for January 14. Cosby turned over his passport.

It is the first time Cosby, 78, has been charged with any offence after months of accusations.

Andrea Constand says she was drugged then assaulted at the Philadelphia home of the former US television star.

Dozens of women have accused him of sexual assault, dating back to the 1970s, but he has denied wrongdoing.

Earlier this month he opened a lawsuit against seven of the women, accusing them of defamation.

Mr. Cosby made no comment as he arrived at court to be formally charged.

Cosby, whose legacy as a comedian has been tarnished by multiple accusations of sexual assault, faces one felony charge of aggravated indecent assault.

New evidence

The criminal investigation into Cosby in MontgomeryCounty was reopened in July after new evidence came to light, Steele said.

The new evidence was court documents related to a civil suit that Constand filed against Cosby after prosecutors declined to seek charges against the comedian.

Constand settled the civil case against Cosby in 2006.

This past July — nine years after the civil case was settled — a judge decided to unseal Cosby’s deposition in that case in response to a motion by the media.

In it, Cosby admits he had sexual relationships with at least five women outside his marriage, gave prescription sedatives to women he wanted to have sex with and tried to hide affairs from his wife.

When the deposition was released and “we learned about allegations from other victims under similar circumstances, reopening this case was not a question,” Steele said. “Rather, reopening this case was our duty as law enforcement officers with a sworn obligation to uphold our constitutions and to uphold the law.”

Prosecutors re-examined the original investigation in light of the new documents, re-interviewed some witnesses and decided to pursue the criminal charge.

Here are the names of the 55 alleged victims