Convicted sex offender and disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 23 years behind bars after being found guilty of a criminal sexual act and rape in the third degree, marking the end of a harrowing criminal trial and confirming a landmark victory for the #MeToo movement.
The decision comes nearly three weeks after a jury found Weinstein, 67, guilty of forcing oral sex on former production assistant Miriam Haley at his apartment in 2006, and guilty of raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.
In a statement obtained by The Washington Post after the sentence was delivered, Haley said, “I’m relieved that there are women out there who are safer because he’s not out there.”
Addressing Weinstein’s history of signing nondisclosure agreements with other individuals who have accused him of sexual assault, Mann said, “My rape was preventable. This was a known offender.”
Weinstein’s alleged history of abuse appears to have held merit with Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James A. Burke. The New York Times reports Burke told the court “Although this is a first conviction, it is not a first offense.”
The paper reports the former movie mogul said he was “totally confused” about the situation, telling his accusers, who had gathered in court, that “I’m really trying to be a better person.”
Weinstein, who was acquitted of one count first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault during the trial, is expected to be transferred to prison in the coming days.
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