Bill Cosby sentenced to three to ten years in state prison for sexual assault
American comedian Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for sexual assault. Furthermore, the 81-year-old was denied bail and led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, CNN reported. Cosby's sentence comes after a lengthy trial, in which he faced accusations from former Temple University employee Andrea Constand and was found guilty.
Denying Cosby's bail, the Montgomery County Judge pronounced the judgement, saying, "I'm not permitted to treat him any differently based on who he is or who he was. No one is above the law, and no one should be treated differently or disproportionally."
The 81-year-old was also categorised as a sexually violent predator, which means that he must undergo counselling for life and be listed on the sex offender registry. He was found to have drugged and raped Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. Since then, multiple women have come forward against "The Cosby Show" star and leveled similar allegations.
The first part of the sentencing hearings focused on the prosecution's efforts to label Cosby as a sexually violent predator. Kathy McKee, a former actress who also accused Cosby of raping her, told CNN that she is happy and grateful to Andrea Constand "for standing strong."
Cosby's trial was heralded as the first major celebrity trial of the #MeToo movement, and the first to result in a conviction.
(With ANI inputs)
