US: comedian Bill Cosby charged with sexual assault

[webfact]

US: comedian Bill Cosby charged with sexual assault



"On the evening in question, Mr. Cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her and to drink wine"

ELKINS PARK: -- Comedian Bill Cosby has been charged in the US with drugging and sexually assaulting a women at his home in 2004.

He has gone before a district judge and a posted a one million dollar bail.

Cosby is accused of attacking Andrea Constand, a former university basketball team manager.

“On the evening in question, Mr. Cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her and to drink wine,” Kevin Steele, from the Montgomery County Attorney’s Office, told reporters.

“The effect of which rendered her unable to move and he committed aggravated indecent assault upon her.”

Charging Cosby reverses a decision made by another attorney in 2005.

Prosecutors reopened the case as new evidence was unsealed in the woman’s related civil case.

The entertainer has previously said under oath that he had consensual sexual contact with the woman.

Cosby has repeatedly denied similar accusations made by dozens of women.

Many of the alleged incidents occurred decades ago and the statute of limitations for prosecuting them expired long ago.

Earlier this month, Cosby sued seven of his accusers, saying the women who said they were assaulted were lying and had defamed his “honourable legacy and reputation.”

The actor is best known for playing Dr. Cliff Huxtable, the family patriarch in the TV sitcom “The Cosby Show,” which was one of America’s highest rated television shows in the 1980s.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-12-31

[BookMan]

About time he was charged

[NeverSure]

^^^ Were you there?

[webfact]

Bill Cosby charged with a sex crime dating to 2004
By MARYCLAIRE DALE

ELKINS PARK, Pa. (AP) — Bill Cosby was arrested in the twilight of his life and career Wednesday and charged with a decade-old sex crime after a barrage of accusations from dozens of women made a mockery of his image as TV's wise and understanding Dr. Cliff Huxtable.

Holding a cane, the 78-year-old comedian walked slowly and unsteadily into court on the arms of his lawyers to answer charges he drugged and sexually assaulted a woman less than half his age at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He had no comment as he was released on $1 million bail.

The case marks the first time Cosby has been charged with sexual misconduct despite years of lurid allegations and sets the stage for perhaps the biggest Hollywood celebrity trial of the mobile-news era.

"Make no mistake: We intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge, and we expect that Mr. Cosby will be exonerated by a court of law," his attorney Monique Pressley said in a statement.

The decision to prosecute came just days before Pennsylvania's 12-year statute of limitations for bringing charges was set to run out.

The former "Cosby Show" star and breaker of TV's racial barriers was charged with aggravated indecent assault, punishable by five to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. He did not have to enter a plea.

Prosecutors accused Cosby of plying former Temple University employee Andrea Constand with pills and wine, then penetrating her with his fingers without her consent while she was drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to resist or cry out.

She was "frozen, paralyzed, unable to move," Montgomery County District Attorney-elect Kevin Steele said. In court papers, prosecutors said the drugs were the cold medicine Benadryl or some other, unidentified substance. Steele noted that Cosby has admitted giving quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with.

Cosby acknowledged under oath a decade ago that he had sexual contact with Constand but said it was consensual.

Wearing a black-and-white hooded sweater into court, Cosby seemed to have trouble seeing the paperwork and finding the place to sign, and his lawyers helped him hold the pen. But he seemed at ease, laughing and chatting with his attorneys.

When the judge said, "Good luck to you, sir," he shouted: "Thank you!"

The case represents an about-face by the district attorney's office, which under a previous DA declined to charge Cosby in 2005 when Constand first told police that the comic put his hands down her pants at his home in Cheltenham.

Prosecutors reopened the case over the summer as damaging testimony was unsealed in Constand's related civil lawsuit against Cosby and as dozens of other women came forward with similar accusations that destroyed his good-guy image as America's Dad.

"Reopening this case was not a question. Rather, reopening this case was our duty as law enforcement officers," said Steele, who is the top deputy in the DA's office and will take over next week.

In court papers, prosecutors said there are probably other women who were similarly drugged and violated by Cosby. Steele urged them to come forward.

Constand, now 42, lives in Toronto and works as a massage therapist. Her attorney, Dolores Troiani, welcomed the charges.

"She feels that they believe her, and to any victim, that is foremost in your mind: Are people going to believe me?" Troiani said. The attorney added: "Naturally it is troubling that it took until the eleventh hour for this day to arrive. She is hopeful that her patience has encouraged other victims to come forward."

Cosby also faces a raft of defamation and sexual-abuse lawsuits filed in Massachusetts, Los Angeles and Pennsylvania. The statute of limitations for bringing criminal charges against him in other places has run out in nearly every case. One exception: a 2008 case still under investigation in Los Angeles.

A key question if the Pennsylvania case goes to trial is whether the judge will allow supporting testimony from some of those other accusers to show a pattern of "bad acts." The judge could decide such testimony would be unfair to Cosby.

In Los Angeles, celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who represents more than two dozen Cosby accusers, pronounced the charges "the best Christmas present they have ever received." She said her clients are willing to testify if called.

Cosby in 1965 became the first black actor to land a leading role in a network drama, "I Spy," and he went on to earn three straight Emmys. Over the next three decades, the Philadelphia-born comic created TV's animated "Fat Albert" and the top-rated "Cosby Show," the 1980s sitcom celebrated as groundbreaking television for its depiction of a warm and loving black family headed by two professionals, one a lawyer, the other a doctor.

He was a fatherly figure off camera as well, serving as a public moralist and public scold, urging young people to pull up their saggy pants and start acting responsibly.

Constand, who worked for the women's basketball team at Temple, where Cosby was a trustee and proud alumnus, said she was assaulted after going to his home in January 2004 for some career advice.

Then-District Attorney Bruce Castor declined to charge Cosby, saying at the time that the comedian and his accuser could be portrayed in "a less than flattering light." Constand eventually settled a lawsuit against Cosby in 2006 on confidential terms.

Cosby's lawyer noted pointedly Wednesday that the charges come "on the heels of a hotly contested election" for DA in which the handling of the Cosby case became a major issue. Castor was seeking to reclaim his job as DA but lost to Steele.

Constand's allegations and similar ones from other women in the years that followed did not receive wide attention at the time but exploded into view in late 2014, first online, then in the wider media, after comedian Hannibal Buress mocked the moralizing Cosby as a hypocrite and called him a rapist during a standup routine.

That opened the floodgates to even more allegations.

The women were mostly from the world of modeling, acting or other entertainment fields, and Cosby or his representatives denied their allegations, accusing some of them of trying to extract money from him or get ahead in show business.

Earlier this year, The Associated Press persuaded a judge to unseal documents from the Constand lawsuit, and they showed the long-married Cosby acknowledging a string of affairs and sexual encounters.

Cosby, who makes his home mostly in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, testified that he obtained quaaludes in the 1970s to give to women "the same as a person would say, 'Have a drink.'" He denied giving women drugs without their knowledge.

In his deposition, Cosby said he gave Constand three half-pills of Benadryl for stress without telling her what they were. He said he groped Constand, taking her silence as a green light.

"I don't hear her say anything. And I don't feel her say anything. And so I continue and I go into the area that is somewhere between permission and rejection. I am not stopped," Cosby testified. He said Constand was not upset when she left.

The AP generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to have their names published, as Constand has done.

Cosby's fall has been especially painful to many blacks who regarded his commercial and cultural success with great pride.

"There is a fatal difference now between Cliff Huxtable and Bill Cosby that can never be overcome," said author and professor Michael Eric Dyson, who wrote a book on Cosby a decade ago. "It does add a creepy subtext and a shadow of tremendous moral weight that will inevitably be brought up each time his name is evoked."
___

Associated Press writer Errin Haines Whack in Philadelphia; Michael R. Sisak in Elkins Park; and John Rogers in Los Angeles contributed to this story.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-12-31

[CaptHaddock]

^^^ Were you there?

When 27 women accuse a man of sexual assaults, it would seem appropriate for a court to decide whether a crime has occurred.

[ezzra]

If found guilty, he will join the long line of other well know personalities that just couldn't keep

their dicks in their pants... what is with people that makes them obtaining sex by force and at all

cost makes it worthwhile to ruin theirs and the victims lives?

[phitsanulokjohn]

Wonder whether this will open a can of worms in the States and expose other top personalities,as was the case in the Uk,with jimmy savile and his sick antics.

[Tchooptip]

May be it will heat up for him ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/08/business/bill-cosby-said-in-2005-he-obtained-drugs-to-give-to-women.html?action=click&contentCollection=Media&module=RelatedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article

[NickJ]

CNN has a Special Report broadcasting now. I just watched it. I wanted to be in his corner, even halfway through it. Hate when the media tries and convicts a person even before a trial.

[GOLDBUGGY]

Lets see if we got this straight!

A 31 year old Female Basket Ball Manager (Coach) decides to go to the private home of a famous married actor, who is twice her age and there by himself, for "Career Advice". Which to me is already along the lines of a Pretty Waitress wanting to be a Movie Star and going to a Producer or Directors Home for "Career Advice". Knowing full well she may end up on the sofa with him later, to get her chance, and thus willing to do so.

But while at Cosby's Home. and her noticing they are alone, she doesn't try to leave. Oh No! Instead she decides to drink wine with him, and later agrees to take some pills even though she may not have known exactly what they were. But yet even a teenage girl knows enough not to get caught in such a situation and especially to take pills from a stranger.

But she agrees to everything Bill suggests so it is no wonder they do end up on this sofa for her "Career Advice". She makes no attempt to stop Bill on the grounds she claims she was not capable of doing this because of the pills. Yet nobody forced her to go to his house knowing full well they would be alone, never made any attempt in leaving. but instead stayed and drank wine with him and agreed to take these pills later. When it was over and she did leave, she did not appear to be distressed about anything. She does not call the police and make claims of rape not does she tell anyone this is what happened.

But having some form of sexually relationship with a famous married man is hard to keep as a secret. Look at what happened to Bill Clinton to. So along the way an idea was formed to try and make some money out of this adventure. She decided to Sue Cosby 2 years later for his inappropriate actions towards her, which for any married man would be consider inappropriate in any court.

But Cosby decides not to fight this case. Pocket Change for him. Cosby decides that instead of having his named dragged through the mud in a public court, to pay her some hush money to her and end it all quietly. Which was probably a good career move, and if it wasn't brought up again would have ended there in 2006. But no! Here we go again with a DA and Judge trying to make some name for themselves and get re-elected but charging some 73 Year Old Man for a crime he did not commit.

Did Bill Cosby have sexual relationships with many different women while he was a celebrity? I am more surprised when people like them do not. Just look at Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Tyson, Rock Bands, even Bill Clinton. The list goes on and on. From beautiful women who just want a piece of there fame and are willing to do anything to get that. Even for one night.

If what Bill Cosby did was a crime than they had better lock up half the Producers, Directors, and Stars in Hollywood for the same crimes, from Wannabe Movie Actresses. Linda Lovelace, the star of "Deep Throat", claimed for years she was force and tortured by her husband to do this and was raped by many men. But nobody ever got charged for those crimes.

I just wonder how it is that the Courts in the USA have so much time, and so little crime, that all they have to do is chase after is a 73 Year Old Man, as in Bill Crosby, for an alleged crime that happened 11 years ago, or 82 year old Roman Polanski, were his crime is so old it was written in "Hieroglyphs". Especially when there is no way they will get a conviction for Cosby. A Big Waste of Tax Payers Dollar I figure.

[NanLaew]

Oh dear. Defending the indefensible. Let's leave all that to the qualified legal counsel he will retain and see how it pans out for the dirty old bugger.

[connda]

Why would a superstar like Bill Cosby need to drug any woman to have sex with him. Superstars have 'groupies'. Groupie have consensual sex.

Set up imho. Where there is money to be made, there are lawyers and complainants.

"He's old and vulnerable. Let the tigers out to feed!"

Edited December 31, 2015 by connda

[connda]

CNN has a Special Report broadcasting now. I just watched it. I wanted to be in his corner, even halfway through it. Hate when the media tries and convicts a person even before a trial.

GUILTY in the court of popular opinion.

[MaeJoMTB]

I hope I don't get taken to court for every time I gave booze and drugs to a woman and then had sex with her.

I thought that was what booze and drugs were for!

[TheCruncher]

^^^ Were you there?

When 27 women accuse a man of sexual assaults, it would seem appropriate for a court to decide whether a crime has occurred.

If I would accuse Bill Cosby of raping me when I was a young boy, and it looked like I would get some money out of it, I bet within the next 6 months there would be another 20 males accusing him of the same

[Don Mega]

he forced the wine and pills down her throat without her knowledge ?

[NeverSure]

I wonder how many groupies the average big star has had? How about a count for Elvis or The Beatles? Is the number zero? What would I do if all of those pretty women came crowding to my dressing room after each show?

I still have a problem with people being able to make these accusations in hopes of getting big money after so many years have passed that the accused has no way of defending himself. He said, she said. Surely there needs to be more than that?

Cheers.

[JHolmesJr]

If it doesnt fit, you must acquit.

[robblok]

I hope I don't get taken to court for every time I gave booze and drugs to a woman and then had sex with her.

I thought that was what booze and drugs were for!

There are gradations there, for instance if you use GHB on a girl to incapacitate her and then have sex. That would be rape especially if you put it in her drink without knowing (hard to do as it tastes real bad).

Giving a girl a few drinks so she opens up a bit more is on the other side of the scale.. its not all black and white.

[samsensam]

why someone as rich and famous as he appears to have been needs to drug and rape women seems particularly pathetic. hopefully he will be put away for the rest of his life.

[Jingthing]

Let the justice process proceed. He seems a broken old man now. He had a good run anyway.

[Jingthing]

why someone as rich and famous as he appears to have been needs to drug and rape women seems particularly pathetic. hopefully he will be put away for the rest of his life.

That's actually probably a good question. Obviously he could afford all the sex workers he wanted. That too is illegal in the U.S. but minor compared to these charges. We can only speculate. I assume being famous he attracted lots of people, men and women, who wanted to get to know him. So there was the opportunity to begin with. I guess it served some kind of emotional need not to pay sex workers. Maybe he deluded himself that these women actually wanted him (and quite possibly some of them did). Another factor might have been calculated risk. If he hired a lot of sex workers, that would likely get out to the press and would have damaged his "Mr. Clean" reputation.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Jingthing

[NeverSure]

Cosby was first a stand up comedian. He continued that during and after his TV shows. I saw him in Tahoe and he was good.

Prostitution is legal in much of Nevada where he performed a lot. I would think that if he's guilty here it had to be some kind of a control issue or something. Surely he had access to the willing including hookers.

I still don't like what's happening due to the time that's elapsed. It's all about "he said, she said," and money does strange things to people including creating a bandwagon effect. The guy has no way to defend himself against accusations after so much time. I wouldn't be surprised of another dozen women came out of the woodwork claiming the same thing. He has deep pockets and they know it.

I'm not saying he isn't guilty, because I don't know. I just think we have statutes of limitations on many things for good reasons.

Cheers.

[Jingthing]

Prostitution is NOT legal in Las Vegas, which is likely where he performed in Nevada. For rich clients, the law isn't usually much of an issue anyplace in the U.S. for clients as there are higher end call services that cater to that market.

They obviously can't pursue charges on all the cases because of statute limitations but they found a case that could be pursued. I think a lot of people feel sympathy towards him, guilty or not (probably guilty) because he was admired for so long and also his age now.

Of course his punishment has already started. The vast majority of people assume he is guilty and his reputation and the legacy of his reputation is trashed for good. He's not the joke teller anymore; he's the butt of rape jokes.

That's an odd term, isn't it, butt of jokes?

Edited December 31, 2015 by Jingthing

[bendejo]

Sometimes living a long life is not a positive thing. I think BC and Dennis Hastert would agree.

[Somtamnication]

Fat Albert and the gang are crying in shame.

[BookMan]

Why would a superstar like Bill Cosby need to drug any woman to have sex with him. Superstars have 'groupies'. Groupie have consensual sex.

Set up imho. Where there is money to be made, there are lawyers and complainants.

"He's old and vulnerable. Let the tigers out to feed!"

Good grief!

You think because he is a superstar he must be innocent?

[BookMan]

I wonder how many groupies the average big star has had? How about a count for Elvis or The Beatles? Is the number zero? What would I do if all of those pretty women came crowding to my dressing room after each show?

I still have a problem with people being able to make these accusations in hopes of getting big money after so many years have passed that the accused has no way of defending himself. He said, she said. Surely there needs to be more than that?

Cheers.

Did the examples you gave, Elvis and The Beatles, rape the groupies or give them drugs to incapacitate them so they could rape them?

[GOLDBUGGY]

Why would a superstar like Bill Cosby need to drug any woman to have sex with him. Superstars have 'groupies'. Groupie have consensual sex.

Set up imho. Where there is money to be made, there are lawyers and complainants.

"He's old and vulnerable. Let the tigers out to feed!"

I agree that a superstars like Cosby doesn't need to hire prostitutes (which is illegal in most states and could easily ruin his reputation if the word got out) nor do they need to drug a woman to have sex. But I also recall in my younger years that Spanish Fly was sought after as it was suppose to make a woman more willing, and we used to call Dry Gin "Pantie Remover", for a good reason. So maybe the use of these drugs are along those same lines. Obviously more willing.

He is old and vulnerable, but he is also worth $400 Million Dollars, so what is it to him to lose a few of those compared to his reputation? So indeed let the Tigers out of there pen to feed on him now.

Interesting to note that from most of these Tigers they can't charge Bill, or Sue him anymore, because the Statue of Limitations has ran out. I guess they figure that if after 12 years you can't determine if you have been raped or not then this is long enough. This case to would have ran out in January if Bill wasn't charged on December 30th. Only 1 day shy.

Was she drugged and raped? Isn't a raped victim supposed to act like she was raped? I mean if it was me I would try at all costs to stay away from him at least, and maybe file charges, but she doesn't do that. The alleged rape was supposed to have occurred in January 2004 and yet she keeps regular communications with Bill after this time.

In April of that year, or 3 months later, she moved back to Canada but still kept up communications with Bill Cosby. In August 2014 ( 8 months later) she took her parents to one of Cosby's performances and back stage to meet Bill Cosby in person. Now who do you know, or even read about, a Rape Victim taking her parents on a friendly visit to meet her rapist 8 months later? It was not until 1 year later that she finally filed charges against Bill and when there was no grounds for him to be charged she went ahead and filed a civil suit anyway.

It sounds to me like she did not get the "Career Advice", or career advancement, she hoped she would get from Cosby. A promise made or deal gone wrong for her instead. Her latest claim is that she is Gay, to counter any claim that she would want any sexual advances from a man. Goes to his house alone, drinks wine with him, and is now Gay. Go Figure? . .

[Usernames]

^^^ Were you there?

When 27 women accuse a man of sexual assaults, it would seem appropriate for a court to decide whether a crime has occurred.

When organized by Gloria Allred??? "In Los Angeles, celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who represents more than two dozen Cosby accusers, pronounced the charges "the best Christmas present they have ever received." She said her clients are willing to testify if called."