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Danny Masterson used to be convicted on two rape counts in Might after a 2nd trial
A pass judgement on in Los Angeles is because of make a decision the jail sentence for US actor Danny Masterson, who used to be convicted in Might of raping two ladies within the early 2000s.
The superstar of That ’70s Display, a TV sit-com sequence, faces as much as 30 years or lifestyles in jail.
Prosecutors argued Masterson, 47, had depended on his standing as a outstanding Scientologist to keep away from responsibility.
Masterson used to be discovered responsible at a re-trial after the primary jury used to be not able to achieve a verdict in 2022.
On Thursday, Pass judgement on Charlaine Olmedo will permit the sufferers to ship have an effect on statements ahead of the sentencing.
The listening to starts at 08:30PDT (16:30GMT).
The actor used to be convicted on 31 Might after 3 ladies testified that he had sexually assaulted them at his Hollywood house from 2001-03 – throughout the peak of his tv popularity.
The jury heard testimony that he had given them medication ahead of he assaulted them.
He used to be discovered responsible of rape in opposition to two of his 3 accusers. The fees introduced through the 3rd accuser had been declared a mistrial and prosecutors mentioned they don’t plan to retry the case.
After his conviction, Masterson used to be deemed a flight possibility and used to be taken into jail custody.
Masterson used to be first accused of rape in 2017 throughout the peak of the #MeToo motion. He denied the accusations and mentioned every of the encounters used to be consensual.
Fees got here after a three-year investigation through the Los Angeles Police Division. Prosecutors didn’t report fees in two different circumstances on account of inadequate proof and the statute of boundaries expiring.
All over the trial, prosecutors argued that the Church of Scientology had helped duvet up the attacks – an allegation the organisation has categorically denied.
On the time of the attacks, Masterson and all 3 of his accusers had been Scientologists. A number of of the ladies mentioned it took them years yet to come ahead as a result of Church of Scientology officers discouraged them from reporting the rape to police.
Scientology officers advised one survivor she can be kicked out of the Church except she signed a non-disclosure settlement and authorized a cost of $400,000 (£320,000), in line with prosecutors.
All through the trial, Pass judgement on Olmedo allowed each side to speak about the dogma and practices of Scientology, angering the non secular neighborhood.
In its observation after the decision, the Church mentioned there used to be “no longer a scintilla of proof supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church confused the accusers”.
