Harvey Weinstein indicted on new accusations of sexual assault
NEW YORK — Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on charges he committed a forcible sex act on a third woman, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. The new charges against Weinstein include first-degree criminal sexual act for a forcible sexual act against a woman in 2006, as well as two counts of predatory sexual assault.
Weinstein now faces a total of six charges connected to incidents involving three women. He was previously charged with first- and third-degree rape, and first-degree criminal sexual act for incidents involving two women in 2004 and 2013. All of the charges are felonies.
One of the alleged victims in the criminal case, who has not been identified publicly, told investigators that Weinstein cornered her in a hotel room and raped her. The other accuser, former actress Lucia Evans, has gone public with her account of Weinstein forcing her to perform oral sex at his office in 2004.
The updated indictment alleges that he "engaged in oral sex by forcible compulsion" around July 10, 2006.
A representative for Weinstein had no immediate comment.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance called the accusations "some of the most serious sexual offenses that exist under New York's penal law," in a press release after the charges were filed.
"This indictment is the result of the extraordinary courage exhibited by the survivors who have come forward," Vance said.
Weinstein has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex, and his attorney Ben Brafman previously indicated Weinstein intends to fight the charges against him.
After Weinstein was first indicted in May, Brafman issued a statement to CBS News saying the indictment is a "merely a formal accusation." Brafman said Weinstein, who pleaded not guilty, will "vigorously defend against these unsupported allegations that he strongly denies."
The Hollywood mogul is scheduled for arraignment Monday, July 9.