United States comedian and actor Bill Cosby was on Tuesday sentenced to three and 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman at his home in a Philadelphia suburb in 2004. Pennsylvania Judge Steven O’Neill rejected a request to release him on bail, ordering Cosby to be jailed immediately, Reuters reported.
In April, the 81-year-old actor was found guilty of three counts of aggravated assault for drugging and sexually assaulting his acquaintance. The complainant had alleged that Cosby assaulted her 14 years ago when she visited him to ask for career advice. Later, five other women also testified that he did the same with them. More than 60 women over five decades have publicly accused the Emmy award-winning actor of sexually assaulting them
“You were convicted of a very serious crime,” O’Neill told Cosby, according to AFP. “No one is above the law.”
O’Neill designated Cosby a “sexually violent predator” under the Pennsylvania law. As per the law, Cosby will have to register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life and undergo monthly counselling. Cosby was also fined $25,000 and ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution.
Cosby was taken to Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Phoenix. He will have to spend at least three years in jail before he can seek parole. He could end up in prison for up to a decade.
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