Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years in US rape trial

HOUSTON, United States

Disgraced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Thursday to 16 years in prison for a rape conviction in the state of California.

The sentencing comes nearly two months after his Los Angeles trial concluded in December with a jury convicting Weinstein, 70, on three counts of rape and sexual assault.

The three charges were based on counts relating to Jane Doe #1 -- a European model who testified she was raped by Weinstein at a Los Angeles hotel during the Italia Film Festival in 2013.

The jury found Weinstein guilty of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by foreign object, according to multiple news outlets.

Weinstein faced a possible sentence of up to 24 years. He is already serving a 23-year sentence in New York for rape and sexual assault in a 2020 trial.

Weinstein, who will turn 71 next month, is all but assured to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

He has been accused by more than 100 women who have publicly come forward with allegations of sexual assault, abuse and harassment over a period of several decades.

His convictions and sentencings have marked a stunning downfall for the Oscar winner who was once amongst the most powerful in Hollywood.

Weinstein's plethora of allegations ignited the #MeToo movement in 2017. He has consistently maintained his innocence, denying any accusations of rape or assault. His legal team has repeatedly said he has unfairly been painted as the poster boy of the movement.

He pleaded not guilty at the New York and Los Angeles trials and has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex.

He waived his right to take the witness stand in each case.