Judge brands Bill Cosby a ‘predator’, sends him to prison
BILL Cosby was marched out of court in shackles on Tuesday after a judge branded him a “predator” and sentenced him to between three and 10 years in prison for sexual assault, capping the downfall of the oncebeloved comedian known as “America’s Dad”.
Cosby, 81, was found guilty in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for the drugging and sexual assault of his one-time friend Andrea Constand, a former Temple University administrator, at his Philadelphia home in 2004.
He is the first celebrity to be convicted of sexual abuse since the start of the #MeToo movement, the national reckoning with misconduct that has brought down dozens of powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields.
Cosby must spend at least three years in a Pennsylvania prison before he becomes eligible for supervised release, though he could end up behind bars for up to a decade.
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steven O’Neill ordered Cosby to be jailed immediately, denying his request for bail while lawyers appeal against the conviction.
He was escorted out a back door of the courthouse with his hands and feet shackled and driven away in a black sport utility vehicle.
Minutes earlier, Ms Constand left court with her arms folded, a smile spreading across her face as other women who have accused Cosby came to hug her. Several of those women spoke to reporters in the rain outside the courtroom.
“I wanted 30 years, but I’m very happy to know Mr Cosby will do time in prison,” said Chelan Lasha, who gave tearful testimony in court how the actor had drugged and groped her in the 1980s.
Mr O’Neill also fined Cosby $25,000 and ordered him to pay the costs of the prosecution. There was no visible reaction from the disgraced entertainer as he learned his fate.
Mr O’Neill also decided to designate Cosby a “sexually violent predator” under Pennsylvania law.
Under that designation, Cosby will have to undergo monthly counselling and register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life. Neighbours and schools will be notified of his address, certain movements and crimes, as will Ms Constand.
More than 50 women have accused Cosby of sexual abuse going back decades, with most complaints too old to prosecute. The Constand case was the only allegation that led to criminal charges.
Cosby has denied any wrongdoing.