The Daily Telegraph

Outrage at Cosby’s plan to mentor men on avoiding sex-assault charges

- By Our Foreign Staff

BILL COSBY’S suggestion that he can offer free public seminars to educate young men on how to avoid being accused of sex crimes has prompted outraged responses on social media.

Cosby, 79, is eager to get back to work after a deadlocked jury and mistrial in his sex assault case and the veteran entertaine­r’s spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, told a television interviewe­r: “We’ll talk to young people. Because this is bigger than Bill Cosby.

“You know, this issue can affect any young person ... they need to know what they’re facing when they’re hanging out and partying, when they’re doing certain things they shouldn’t be doing,” Wyatt said. He then failed to respond when asked: “Is it kind of a, ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ situation?”

Twitter users fiercely criticised Cosby’s planned meetings.

“Instead of teaching men to avoid the law we should teach men to respect women,” said film-maker Jen Siebel Newsom. “This is a sick insult to his victims.”

Ebonee Benson, a Cosby spokesman, also relayed comments from his wife, Camille, criticisin­g prosecutor­s. “Laws are changing,” Ms Benson said. “The statute of limitation­s for victims of sexual assault are being extended. So, this is why people need to be educated... anything at this point can be considered sexual assault.”

Cosby will be retried on allegation­s made by Andrea Constand that he drugged and molested her in 2004. Cosby contends the encounter was consensual. Over the past few years, nearly 60 women have come forward with similar accusation­s.

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