US: Weinstein indicted on sex abuse charges

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - A grand jury indicted disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein Wednesday on criminal sex and rape charges in the first case against him.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. said in a statement the indictment "brings the defendant another step closer to accountability for the crimes of violence with which he is now charged".

"The defendant’s recent assault on the integrity of the survivors and the legal process is predictable. We are confident that when the jury hears the evidence, it will reject these attacks out of hand," Vance Jr. added.

Weinstein turned himself into police Friday on charges of rape and multiple counts of sexual abuse before being released on $10 million bail. He turned in his passport to authorities and is not allowed to travel outside of the states of New York and Connecticut.

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 against Weinstein are just part of a massive torrent of allegations against him 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.

Weinstein, meanwhile, has denied the charges against him, entering a not guilty plea last Friday.

The investigation into the alleged sexual assaults Weinstein has been charged with is ongoing, according to the Manhattan district attorney.