Prosecutors accuse Cosby of ‘lifetime of sexual assault’ on women

Washington, Dec 15: The District Attorney in the case against US actor and comedian Bill Cosby accused him on Wednesday of “a lifetime of sexual assault” on women in a pre-trial hearing. Kevin Steele, the District Attorney for Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County, where this week another round of pre-trial hearings is underway, hopes to convince the judge that the 13 women who have accused Cosby of sexual abuse must testify at the actor’s trial, which is slated to begin in June, EFE news reported. “This is a lifetime of sexual assault on young women,” Steel said in laying out how Cosby used his fame to lure women, then drugged them so that he could rape them while they were unconscious.

Steele had argued in court on Tuesday that for “decades” Cosby engaged in a pattern of sexual assault on young women to whom he clandestinely administered a knockout drug.

The first trial for the 79-year-old actor is linked to the case of Andrea Constand, who accused him of abusing her in 2004.

The comedian will have to face three charges of aggravated sexual assault, a crime that carries a 10-year prison term upon conviction, according to Pennsylvania legal experts. The District Attorney’s office expects to call other alleged victims of the actor to testify, some of whom have filed complaints in other courts and many others who have only related their claims of sexual assault to the media. (IANS)