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TThe following article contains discussion of sexual misconduct.
Producer Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to more prison time following a rape conviction in Los Angeles.
In December, the former Hollywood mogul was found guilty of rape, as well as two counts of sexual assault involving an accuser known as Jane Doe to protect her anonymity.
According to NBC News, Weinstein was officially sentenced in Los Angeles on Thursday (February 23) to 16 years behind bars. Prosecutors were seeking up to 24 years in prison.
Weinstein is currently serving 23 years in prison after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in a New York trial in 2020.
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This latest conviction and sentence essentially guarantees that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars because he will likely not be allowed to serve his sentences concurrently.
If the court orders Weinstein to serve his sentence in Los Angeles separately, the clock would not start until his 23-year prison sentence in New York City is up.
The allegations in the Los Angeles case stem from Jane Doe accusing Weinstein of showing up to her hotel room after meeting at a film festival and assaulting her.
Of the eleven charges filed against Weinstein in Los Angeles, four were dropped. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on three of the remaining charges and acquitted him of another charge relating to a separate accuser.
Earlier this week, Judge Lisa B. Lench denied a motion by Weinstein’s lawyers for a new trial after they argued that evidence about a romantic relationship between the producer and one of the Jane Does was excluded to the detriment of their client.
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Weinstein was implicated in widespread sexual misconduct as part of a New York Times investigative reporting in 2017 that inspired awards season contender She saidwhere Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan play Schedules reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor.
The producer denied committing sexual assault, but the allegations quickly led to him being removed as head of his own film production company. Criminal charges would come the following month.
IIf you have been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, who are working towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, at their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Scotland’s rape crisis helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAIN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.