Prosecutors in the Philadelphia suburb of Norristown, Pa., charged Bill Cosby with sexual assault Wednesday.
It marks the first time charges have been officially brought against the beleaguered comedian, who has been accused by upwards of 50 women.
The official charge is first-degree aggravated indecent assault. Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Steele defined the act as “penetration” without the consent of his victim, former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.
He added, “Pills were provided. Wine was provided. The victim was frozen, paralyzed. A person in that condition is not able to give consent.”
“The evidence is strong and sufficient enough to proceed with the charges,” Steele added. The decision by his boss, just elected new District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, reverses a decision by her predecessor who had ruled that there was not enough evidence to warrant an arrest.
Constand expressed gratitude via her legal team for the “consideration, courtesy and professionalism” of Steele’s team. Then she said she would not comment further.
Cosby, 78, is expected to be arraigned in front of a magistrate in Elkins Park, Pa., at approximately 4 p.m. ET.
Calls to his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, and his legal team spokeswoman, Monique Pressley, were not immediately returned.
The case dates from 2004, and under Pennsylvania law, prosecutors have a 12-year deadline to bring charges in a sexual assault case. The statute of limitations is due to expire at the end of January.
Constand accused Cosby in 2005, alleging he drugged and sexually assaulted her when she visited his home in Montgomery County outside Philadelphia in 2004. But the county prosecutor then declined to charge him, saying there was not enough evidence by the time she went to police.
So Constand sued him in civil court instead. That suit was settled a year later and the results were sealed, including a three-day deposition of Cosby. But this year, after dozens of women had come forward accusing Cosby of drugging and raping them in episodes dating back to the mid-1960s, a judge released part of the deposition, and more leaked later.
some ah tell lie and some a tell the Truth
bill Cosby has a sickness he needs to stop
bout damn time :selamat hopefully it ends with a conviction
I honestly don’t know what to think. Actual will never be condoned and I can’t help but to think that though Bill Cosby is a seasoned womanizer or what we may call a gallist, I think that he is being railroaded by these women.
No one is railroading Bill Cosby. He did what he has accused of, maybe a few opportunists, but he definitely commits these sick acts on most of these women. The guy has a serious fetish (Somnophilia or close to paraphilia), but is too damn cheap to pay some woman to live out his fetish. He likes to sexually abuse women when they are unconscious. Now it is going to cost him many $millions and possibly his freedom.
I’m on the same train as you Lalibela. As I reflect on how this was uncovered and how many placed him as guilty and removing the notion of innocent completely. I was following Cosby’s business venture when he assembled a number of Black men to purchase NBC that’s when all this allegations were revealed and brought to light.
I am so disappointed with Bill Cosby, smdh. Him fi pay fi all the things him do to those women, he clearly took advance of their situation and them..dyam perfect lost all my respect!
I am so disappointed with Bill Cosby, smdh. Him fi pay fi all the things him do to those women, he clearly took advance of their situation and them..dyam narcissistic pervert- lost all my respect!
Lalibela me a call it bro cuz Cosby guilty as sin!Remember u see how long dem tek PREPARING dem case?! Is not like our dpp di one wid her teeth dem part like the red Sea a make the cases dem a slip through her gap..er I mean grasp
It really sticky…
the money mussi done if they dropped the case in the first place she received money why open the case and recharge him, they not going to stop until they kill him like they kill mj and jail oj. this is too much.
Same thing I said remember when d little boy came out and said mj didn’t molest him money lead pole to den grave cuz bill Cosby is a dead man walking
Elkins Park My neighborhood wow all this excitement. Don’t know if he did it or not. So best of luck to both side.
Pretty
Why come out now & long time it happen d man a 78 him soon dead so where is d victory in getting him convicted now. I remember d little boy who said mj molested him then came out & said his mom told him to lie I ain’t gonna say he didn’t but I sure as hell ain’t gonna say he did cuz money is d root of all evil let he who is without sin cast d first stone
Anonymous @ 1:39 the argument regarding the purchase of NBC was also brought to my attention by one of my Liberian coworker. And she shared your sentiments also. I wasn’t aware of it. In terms of him being guilty or not guilty I don’t have an opinion one way or the other. But this argument is very interesting to me and will definitely do some research on this.
Dem tiad a bill now him a get old an probably nuh wah work nuh more so might as well f__k up couple things feeim.. him probably all do dem things fi real but a now it a get use pan him
Before bill did kip him ass quiet him a fling cocky gi willing and unwilling
Still can’t believe half of the accusers. I guess I want to continue seeing him in a good light. So sad on all fronts, cause if this is true, just imagine the turmoil these women live in for years.
I cannot rejoice another black man reduce to nothing it pains my heart. Woody Allen rape his step daughter and is regarded as one of the best producer in hollywood. The guy who played the father on Seventh Heaven admitted to having sex with a 8 and 13 year old and is still walking freely whIle bill cosby is drag into court. How many white man have fetish and has done the samething as bill. Smh that’s life for you.