Disgraced comedy star Bill Cosby has been sentenced to state prison for three to 10 years.
Montgomery County judge Steven O'Neill also deemed Cosby a "sexually violent predator," which will require him to get monthly counselling and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
He will also be fined $25,000 and required to pay the complainant's legal fees.
The decision was announced this afternoon, following a two-day sentencing hearing in Pennsylvania.
Earlier this year, the 81-year-old Cosby was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.
At the time of the incident, Toronto-born Constand was working as a basketball coach at Cosby's alma mater Temple University in Philadelphia. She alleged that while over at his house for dinner, Cosby gave her three blue pills and proceeded to touch her inappropriately.
Since the conviction, Cosby has been out of prison on $1 million USD bail.
In a victim impact statement given to the court yesterday (September 24), Constand wrote, "Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature and my trust in myself and others."
Cosby opted not to speak at the sentencing hearing.
The case has garnered plenty of media attention, as it is the first high-profile celebrity trial in the wake of the #MeToo movement that went viral last year.
Montgomery County judge Steven O'Neill also deemed Cosby a "sexually violent predator," which will require him to get monthly counselling and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
He will also be fined $25,000 and required to pay the complainant's legal fees.
The decision was announced this afternoon, following a two-day sentencing hearing in Pennsylvania.
Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison.
— Montgomery County DA (@MontcopaDA) September 25, 2018
Bill Cosby's sentence also included $25,000 fine and cost of prosecution.
— Montgomery County DA (@MontcopaDA) September 25, 2018
Earlier this year, the 81-year-old Cosby was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.
At the time of the incident, Toronto-born Constand was working as a basketball coach at Cosby's alma mater Temple University in Philadelphia. She alleged that while over at his house for dinner, Cosby gave her three blue pills and proceeded to touch her inappropriately.
Since the conviction, Cosby has been out of prison on $1 million USD bail.
In a victim impact statement given to the court yesterday (September 24), Constand wrote, "Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature and my trust in myself and others."
Cosby opted not to speak at the sentencing hearing.
The case has garnered plenty of media attention, as it is the first high-profile celebrity trial in the wake of the #MeToo movement that went viral last year.
