(CMR) NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home near here 14 years ago, completing the precipitous downfall to disgrace of a man from the heights of stardom and putting an exclamation mark on the first major conviction of the #MeToo era.
Mr. Cosby, 81, had been convicted in April of assaulting Andrea Constand, a Temple University employee at the time of the assault, who had looked upon him as a mentor but ended up being one of the dozens of women who have accused him of acts of predatory sexual abuse.
Nine of those women and Ms. Constand were in the Montgomery County Courthouse to witness the sentencing by Judge Steven T. O’Neill. Ms. Cosby’s wife, Camille, was not.
“It is time for justice, Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you,” Judge O’Neill said. “The day has come. The time has come.”
Mr. Cosby looked to be heading straight to prison as the judge initially denied him a request to remain free on bail while he pursues an anticipated appeal. But after the defense argued the point, Judge O’Neill went back to chambers to consider the question further.
• Bill Cosby was given a three- to 10-year prison sentence on Tuesday for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman, Andrea Constand, at his homenear here 14 years ago.
• Ten women who had accused Mr. Cosby of sexual abuse, including Ms. Constand, were in the courthouse to witness the sentencing.
• Prosecutors had asked that he be sentenced to the maximum: 10 years in prison.
• Before sentencing, Judge Steven T. O’Neill upheld a state board’s finding that Mr. Cosby is a sexually violent predator.
• The court released Ms. Constand’s full victim impact statement, in which she wrote: “Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it.”
• Mr. Cosby declined an opportunity to address the court before his sentence was handed down.
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