Harvey Weinstein has been charged with two counts of sexual assault in Los Angeles as his rape trial in New York City is ongoing. Los Angeles County district attorney Jackie Lacey, who investigated allegations leveled against the disgraced movie producer by eight women, announced the news at a press conference on Monday.
Lacey said Weinstein has been charged with raping one woman and sexually assaulting another in 2013.
Weinstein is expected to post bail for the charges with the aid of bail bondsman Ira Judelson. Prior to the announcement, as the Los Angeles Times reports, the district attorney's office filed charges of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force, and sexual battery by restraint. In total, Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment, assault, and rape by over 80 women.
"We believe the evidence will show that the defendant used his power and influence to gain access to his victims and then commit violent crimes against them," Lacey said of the charges. "I want to commend the victims who have come forward and bravely recounted what happened to them. It is my hope that all victims of sexual violence find strength and healing as they move forward."
If convicted of the charges, Weinstein faces up to 28 years behind bars.
The former producer allegedly raped a women in his hotel room on Feb. 18, 2013, and he allegedly sexually assaulted a different woman the next night. The latter of the two women is expected to testify at his current trial in New York. The district attorney's task force is reportedly still investigating allegations leveled against him by three other women.
While a verdict has landed on the west coast, Weinstein is still on trial on the east coast. AsNBC Newsnoted, the trial in New York focuses on felony charges alleging he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel in 2013 and forcibly performed a sex act on another in 2006. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges while free on bail. One of the charges, felony predatory sexual assault, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
In the week leading up to the verdict in Los Angeles and the trial in New York City, Weinstein's publicist reportedly sent an extensive PowerPoint presentation to numerous journalists. As the Cut revealed, the 57-page document was titled "The Proper Narrative for Addressing the Harvey Weinstein Case." The PowerPoint file is intended to make Weinstein seem innocent while smearing those who have accused him of sexual misconduct and assault.
Additionally, the document details Weinstein's philanthropy and claims he has a "huge heart."
