US actor Danny Masterson found guilty on two rape counts

A assemblage successful Los Angeles has recovered US histrion Danny Masterson blameworthy connected 2 retired of 3 counts of rape.

The prima of That '70s Show, a TV series, faces up to 30 years successful prison. He was led from tribunal successful handcuffs.

Three women, each erstwhile members of the Church of Scientology, accused the histrion of intersexual battle astatine his Hollywood location from 2001-03.

Prosecutors argued Masterson had relied connected his presumption arsenic a salient Scientologist to debar accountability.

The assemblage of 7 women and 5 men was incapable to scope a verdict connected a 3rd number aft a week of deliberations, ending up deadlocked astatine 8-4.

One of his victims, who was raped successful 2003, said successful a connection quoted by the Associated Press: "I americium experiencing a analyzable array of emotions - relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness - knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, volition look accountability for his transgression behavior."

Another assemblage successful an earlier proceedings was incapable to scope a verdict successful December 2022.

Prosecutors chose to retry Masterson and this clip the justice allowed attorneys to contiguous caller grounds that had been barred from the archetypal trial.

Though the histrion was not charged with drugging his victims, the assemblage heard grounds that the women had been dosed earlier helium raped them.

Masterson was archetypal accused of rape successful 2017 during the tallness of the #MeToo movement. He responded by saying that helium had not been charged oregon convicted of a crime, and that successful the clime astatine the clip "it seems arsenic if you are presumed blameworthy the infinitesimal you are accused".

Charges came aft a three-year probe by the Los Angeles Police Department. Prosecutors did not record charges successful 2 different cases due to the fact that of insufficient grounds and the statute of limitations expiring.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that the Church of Scientology had helped screen up the assaults - an allegation the organisation has categorically denied.

At the clip of the assaults, Masterson and each 3 of his accusers were Scientologists. Several of the women said it took them years to travel guardant due to the fact that Church of Scientology officials discouraged them from reporting the rape to police.

Instead, they were forced to trust connected the Church's "internal justness system", prosecutors said.

Scientology officials told 1 subsister she would beryllium kicked retired of the Church unless she signed a non-disclosure statement and accepted a outgo of $400,000 (£320,000), according to prosecutors.

Judge Charlaine Olmedo allowed some sides to sermon the dogma and practices of Scientology.

But Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson told jurors during the trial: "The Church taught his victims, 'Rape isn't rape, you caused this, and supra all, you are ne'er allowed to spell to instrumentality enforcement.'"

Throughout the trial, the defence tried to undermine the credibility of the "Jane Does" by focusing connected inconsistencies successful their grounds and their expected thrust to get "revenge" against their erstwhile Church.

During closing arguments, Masterson's defence lawyer said of the survivors: "If you are looking for motives wherefore radical are not being truthful… determination are motives each implicit the place."

Although the Church of Scientology was not a suspect successful the case, earlier closing arguments began, a lawyer with ties to the Church emailed the territory attorney's bureau to kick astir the mode the Church was portrayed during the retrial.

The defence besides argued that the prosecution had relied heavy connected grounds astir drugging due to the fact that determination was an lack of grounds of immoderate unit oregon violence.

Masterson's lawyers tried, unsuccessfully, to person a mistrial declared.