Rape: Harvey Weinstein sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison
LOS ANGELES: Former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison for rape.
Weinstein was convicted of assaulting an actress in a hotel room during a film festival in the city in February 2013.
Moments before his sentencing, he pleaded for leniency from a Los Angeles court judge.
“Please don’t sentence me to life in prison, I don’t deserve to be punished,” the Hollywood star told the court.
More than 80 victims have made allegations of rape and misconduct against Weinstein for crimes he committed since the late 1970s.
The 70-year-old former publisher is already serving 23 years in prison for separate convictions in New York.
Before sentencing on Thursday, Weinstein insisted he was innocent and claimed he was ‘framed’.
On December 19, a Los Angeles jury convicted Weinstein of one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault involving a model and actress.
In 2020, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting a production assistant in 2006 and an aspiring actress in 2013.
He has appealed against the conviction.
The conviction of Weinstein is seen as a milestone in the #MeToo movement which brings to light the issue of sexual abuse and harassment that is rampant in the film and television industry.
