Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein charged with rape

NEW YORK: Former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been charged in New York with rape and several counts of sexual abuse stemming from two separate accusers, BBC News reported.

Weinstein turned himself in to police in the city earlier in the day.Dozens of women have made allegations against the 66-year-old, including rape and sexual assault, and giving rise to the #MeToo movement. Weinstein has denied committing any non-consensual sex acts. He is now out on bail, wearing a monitoring device.

A statement from the New York Police Department said Mr Weinstein “was arrested, processed and charged with rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women”.

He arrived at the police station in lower Manhattan at 07:30 on Friday, carrying three books. After having his mugshot and fingerprints taken, he was led out in handcuffs and taken to court.

Former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been charged in New York with rape and several counts of sexual abuse stemming from two separate accusers.Weinstein turned himself in to police in the city earlier in the day.

Dozens of women have made allegations against the 66-year-old, including rape and sexual assault, and giving rise to the #MeToo movement.Weinstein has denied committing any non-consensual sex acts. He is now out on bail, wearing a monitoring device.

A statement from the New York Police Department said Weinstein “was arrested, processed and charged with rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women”.

During a brief court appearance, during which Weinstein did not speak, prosecutor Joan Illuzzi said the former mogul had “used his position, money and power to lure young women into situations where he was able to violate them sexually”.

Weinstein was released on a $1m bail bond. His lawyer Ben Brafman told reporters outside the court the disgraced mogul would enter a not guilty plea.“We intend to move very quickly to dismiss these charges,” Brafman said. “We believe that they are constitutionally flawed. We believe that they are not factually supported by the evidence.”

He arrived at the police station in lower Manhattan at 07:30 on Friday, carrying three books. After having his mugshot and fingerprints taken, he was led out in handcuffs and taken to court.In its statement, the New York Police Department thanked “these brave survivors for their courage to come forward and seek justice”.

Details of those making the accusations have not yet been officially released, but former actress Lucia Evans, who said Weinstein forced her into oral sex in 2004, is thought to be one of the women whose cases triggered the charges.

These are the first criminal charges against Weinstein, who already faces a raft of civil lawsuitsThe actress Rose McGowan, who accused Weinstein of rape, told the BBC it had been an “amazing day for his survivors”.

“It’s a very significant moment, it’s a concrete slap in the face of abuse of power,” she said. “It’s just the beginning of that process and if we can see this through to the end, I hope we emerge victorious.”

The allegations against the disgraced mogul triggered the #MeToo movement, which sought to demonstrate and draw attention to the widespread prevalence of sexual abuse and harassment.