Bill Cosby has been found guilty by a jury of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl. In 2018, the ex-entertainer, who had great success with the “Bill Cosby Show”, had to serve a prison sentence for sexual assault.
The US comedian and actor Bill Cosby (84) has again been found guilty of sexual abuse. A jury of eight women and four men on Tuesday found it proven that Cosby molested the now 64-year-old plaintiff at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles when she was 16.
The civil trial, which opened in early June, took place in a court in Santa Monica, California. Cosby did not appear himself, but had his defense attorney dismiss the allegations. The jury awarded the plaintiff $500,000.
The woman made the allegations back in 2014. There was no criminal prosecution because the incident was already statute-barred. Because the woman was a minor at the time, she can still take civil action against Cosby with claims for damages.
Cosby has already served three years in prison for sexual assault
The civil case was stayed when Cosby faced criminal charges in Pennsylvania in 2017. More than 60 women had accused the actor of various kinds of sexual assault. The entertainer had always rejected the allegations.
In 2018, Cosby was sentenced to several years in prison for sexual assault. The trial was about a case from 2004. Cosby had spent around three years in prison when the highest court in Pennsylvania surprisingly overturned his conviction in June last year due to a procedural error – Cosby was released.
‘Bill Cosby Show’ turned ex-entertainer into TV darling
The 84-year-old was once considered a superstar and America’s model father through his “Bill Cosby Show”. For millions, his gags paired with heartwarming everyday stories and gentle morals were a must in the evenings.
However, many awards and recognitions of his long career are now passé. The Kennedy Center in Washington revoked awards to him, the Oscar Academy excluded him. The 2018 guilty verdict made Cosby the first celebrity convicted in the #MeToo era, before producer Harvey Weinstein’s handcuffs clicked.
A jury in Los Angeles found Bill Cosby sexually assaulted then-16-year-old Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion nearly 50 years ago — and awarded her $500,000.
Cosby’s spokesperson said the comedian plans to appeal the verdict. https://t.co/tSjd3vZubx pic.twitter.com/KaCgwTr9tC
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 22, 2022