Harvey Weinstein: disgraced Hollywood producer sentenced to 16 years in prison for rape and assault charges

Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after he was found guilty of three rape and sexual assault charges.

The 70-year-old was found guilty of rape, forced oral copulation and another sexual misconduct against a woman known as Jane Doe One during a trial in December 2022. Throughout the trial and his sentencing hearing Weinstein maintained his innocence, telling the juge during the sentencing: “This is a made-up story. With all due respect, Jane Doe One is an actress … Jane Doe One can turn on the tears.

“Please don’t sentence me to life in prison, I don’t deserve it. I beg your mercy.”

The woman in question said that the producer attacked her inside her hotel room during a Los Angeles film festival in 2013. In her closing arguments deputy district attorney Marlene Martinez said: “It is time for the defendant’s reign of terror to end. It is time for the kingmaker to be brought to justice.”

Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence behind bars. This came after a conviction in New York for rape and sexual assault, which he is currently appealing.

An emotional impact statement from Jane Doe One was read out in court during the hearing.It read: “I have been carrying this weight for 12 months.

“Before that night I was a very happy and confident woman. I valued myself and the relationship I had with God. I was excited about my future.

“Everything changed after the defendant brutally assaulted me. I became invisible to myself and to the world … I lost my identity.

“It has broken me into a million pieces … there is no prison sentence long enough to undo the damage.”

During the trial, Weinstein pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of rape and sexual assault. While he was found guilty on the three counts, the jury could not reach a decision on several others including charges involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California governor Gavin Newsom.