Hollywood has been rocked by allegations against disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein. Since the time, he was exposed, the story has developed continuously with a large number of women coming forward to say that they were sexually harassed or assaulted by Weinstein; to which he consistently denied. Again, the film mogul appears in the headline after Manhattan district attorney announced three fresh criminal charges against him. The grand jury has charged Weinstein with a criminal sexual act in the first degree for forcing sex on a third woman in 2006 as well as two counts of predatory sexual assault. If convicted, he could spend the rest of life in prison.

On July 2, the district attorney, Cyrus Vance charged the former head of the Weinstein Company film empire with an additional count of criminal sexual act and committing a pattern of sex crimes. Reportedly, if convicted on the voracious sexual assault Weinstein would face a minimum of 10 years sentence in jail and a maximum of life imprisonment. Media reports are claiming that this new charges against the 66-year-old comes on top of previous accusations of raping a different woman and sexually assaulting another—charges to which he pleaded not guilty.

The charges against the disgraced producer are some of the most serious sexual offenses that exist under New York’s penal law. Manhattan’s district attorney told CNBC, “This indictment is the result of the extraordinary courage exhibited by the survivors who have come forward.” The investigations on the matter is on.  So far, more than 80 women in total have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct or assault. The 66-year-old is out on $1 million (over Rs. 6 crore) bail since his May 25 arrest and will make his next appearance in the New York City Court this September.

It was in October 2017, when The New York Times and The New Yorker reported many women accusing the American film producer over a period of 30 years. After the allegations went viral, Weinstein’s became the signature case of the #MeToo era. He was soon dismissed by The Weinstein Company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The scandal triggered many similar incidents against powerful men around the world and led to the overthrowing of many from their positions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2018 12:25 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).