Bill Cosby, 81, the Comic legend, a once-beloved father figure and moralizing African American cultural icon, was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison at a Norristown, Pennsylvania, court on Tuesday in a sexual assault case. He was also fined $25,000 plus the costs of prosecution. Bill Cosby was denied bail and led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. He was found guilty in the month of April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting a one time friend Andrea Constand in 2004.
The Judge Steven O’Neil handed down the sentence after ruling earlier Tuesday that Bill Cosby is a ‘sexually violent predator.’ The designation means he will have to undergo the lifetime counseling and report regularly to the authorities.
Shortly before the sentence was announced, the judge gave a chance to Bill Cosby to speak but he declined.
The lawyers of Bill Cosby asked for house arrest as Bill Cosby is legally blind, too old and helpless to do time in prison. Prosecutors asked for 5 to 10 years behind bars, saying he could still be a threat to the women.
Dozens of women had accused Bill Cosby of drugging and raping them dating back to the 1970s.
In the years since Andrea Constand first went to authorities in 2005, more than 60 women have accused Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct, though none of those claims have led to criminal charges.
Bill Cosby’s verdict, which came in the midst of the #MeToo movement’s efforts to call attention to the high-profile men abusing their power, added to ongoing debates about the race, gender, and consent centered on Bill Cosby and the women who raised allegations.
Bill Cosby became the first black actor to star in prime-time TV show, ‘I Spy’ in 1965. He remained a Hollywood A-lister for much of next half-century.
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