US: Weinstein indicted on 3 new sexual assault charges

By Safvan Allahverdi

WASHINGTON (AA) - Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein who was indicted on criminal sex and rape charges is now facing three more counts of felony sexual assault Monday.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office announced a grand jury has charged the former Hollywood mogul with a criminal sexual act for forcing sex on a third woman, as well as two counts of predatory sex assault.

"A Manhattan Grand Jury has now indicted Harvey Weinstein on some of the most serious sexual offenses that exist under New York's Penal Law," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said a statement. "This indictment is the result of the extraordinary courage exhibited by the survivors who have come forward."

The latest charges pertain to an incident that allegedly happened in 2006. Weinstein now faces a total of six charges connected to incidents involving three women.

Weinstein's attorney Benjamin Brafman, however, told the media his client will plead not guilty to the new charges, claiming that all of these allegations are false and he expects Weinstein to be fully vindicated.

Weinstein turned himself into police in May on charges of rape and multiple counts of sexual abuse before being released on $1 million bail. He has, however, denied the charges against him, entering a not guilty plea.

He was arraigned on charges of rape, committing a criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two different women.

The criminal sex act charge reportedly stems from a 2004 encounter between Weinstein and then-aspiring actress Lucia Evans. In an interview with the New Yorker, Evans said Weinstein forced her into a sexual act during what was supposed to be a script reading at Miramax's Tribeca office in Manhattan.

The victim in the rape charges case has not been identified.

The charges are just part of a massive torrent of allegations Weinstein involving dozens of women, including prominent Hollywood actresses such as Rose McGowan and Asia Argento who have been critical to jumpstarting the #MeToo movement that has prompted victims of sexual misconduct to come forward with their stories.