As he prepares to go on trial in New York on similar allegations, former film producer Harvey Weinstein was charged in Los Angeles with raping one woman and sexually assaulting another during a two-day period in 2013, prosecutors announced Monday.
Weinstein was charged in Los Angeles with forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by restraint. He will be arraigned at a later date.
Los Angeles County prosecutors said Weinstein allegedly pushed his way into a woman’s hotel room on Feb. 18, 2013, and raped her, then allegedly sexually assaulted a different woman at his Beverly Hills hotel room the next night.
“We believe the evidence will show that the defendant used his power and influence to gain access to his victims and them commit violent crimes against them,” District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement announcing 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.”
Weinstein faces up to 28 years in prison if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
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