As Harvey Weinstein serves his 23-year sentence at the Wende Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Alden, NY, the disgraced movie mogul now faces a new sexual assault charge. Yesterday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed an additional charge against Weinstein after a corroborating witness claimed the convicted rapist sexually assaulted her at a Beverly Hills hotel in May 2010.
Aside from the new sexual battery charge, Weinstein now faces a total of five felony charges in Los Angeles, including "forcible rape, sexual penetration by use of force, sexual battery, and forcible oral copulation." The original charges are based on allegations that Weinstein sexually assaulted two women in separate incidents in 2013.
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Weinstein’s latest victim was a corroborating witness who was assisting prosecutors in their case. Last month, however, she provided new information about her encounter with Weinstein, including when the alleged assault occurred, which fell under the 10-year statute of limitations.
"We are continuing to build and strengthen our case," Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement. "As we gather corroborating evidence, we have reached out to other possible sexual assault victims. If we find new evidence of a previously unreported crime, as we did here, we will investigate and determine whether additional criminal charges should be filed."
While Weinstein serves his sentence in New York, Los Angeles prosecutors are working on the extradition process and have requested temporary custody. However, there's no date as to when a judge will approve Weinstein's transfer to Los Angeles. When Weinstein arrives in Los Angeles, he will then be formally arraigned.
Los Angeles prosecutors also said that two other potential cases against Weinstein were declined because the victims did not want to testify against him. Weinstein has denied the allegations made in the Los Angeles case, and he has yet to provide a comment about the latest charge.
In late March, New York state corrections officers reported that Weinstein had contracted the coronavirus but had not shown any symptoms. Prison officials placed him in isolation at Wende Correctional Facility.
"As of now, it's been 14 days since reports of concern from people inside the prison, and he has no symptoms and no issues," Weinstein spokesman Juda Engelmayer told Reuters.
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Arthur Aidala, a lawyer for Weinstein, also told Reuters last week that he's been in contact with him and that he sounds "fine."
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