The Gold Coast Bulletin

Cosby fate in balance

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AS LAWYERS argued about the “predatory status” of Bill Cosby, “America’s Dad” faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison over sexual assault charges.

Cosby, 81, was found guilty in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for molesting Andrea Constand, a former operations manager for the women’s basketball team at Temple University.

He had been facing a maximum of 30 years but Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill said the prosecutio­n and defence had agreed that two of the three counts should be merged into one, leaving Cosby exposed to a maximum of 10 years in state prison.

Dozens of women have accused Cosby of sexual assault, but Ms Constand’s allegation was the only one that became the subject of a criminal case. Cosby has denied assaulting Ms Constand and is expected to appeal his conviction.

“The jury heard me. Mr Cosby heard me. And now, all I am asking for is justice as the court sees fit,” Ms Constand told the court yesterday.

She testified that Cosby in 2004 gave her three pills she thought were a herbal relaxant and she took them because she trusted him.

Then, she said, she became incapacita­ted and felt his fingers inside of her, but “couldn’t fight him off”.

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