Moonves sees charges declined

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors in Southern California declined to pursue sexual abuse claims against CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves because the statute of limitations has expired, according to documents.

The unidentified woman, who worked in the television industry, went to Los Angeles police in February to report three alleged incidents, two in 1988 and one from 1986.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office was considering three possible criminal charges including two misdemeanors, battery and indecent exposure, and a felony, forced oral copulation, according to a charge evaluation worksheet.

The document stated the woman disclosed at least one of the alleged incidents to a friend a year before filing the police report.

“The applicable statutes of limitation have expired as to all three incidents,” the worksheet said.

An email sent to CBS seeking comment was not immediately returned.

In an article last week in The New Yorker, six women — four of whom spoke on the record — alleged sexual harassment or misconduct by Moonves between the 1980s and late 2000s. Four of the women described forcible touching or kissing during business meetings, it says, while two said that Moonves physically intimidated them or threatened to derail their careers.