Danny Masterson, the US actor who starred in ‘That 70s Show’, was on Thursday sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the rapes of two women.
The sentence was handed by Charlaine F. Olmedo, the judge of the Los Angeles superior court, after hearing statements from the women, who spoke about the decades of damage he inflicted on them.
The 47-year-old Hollywood star and scientologist was convicted of two counts of rape in May.
He was convicted after three women testified that he had sexually assaulted them at his Hollywood home from 2001-03.
A jury of seven women and five men heard testimony that the film star had given the women drugs before he assaulted them.
The jury could not reach a verdict on the third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend.
Masterson, who wore a suit to court, remained silent throughout the hearing — even when the judge read his sentence.
Bijou Phillips, his wife, was, however, seen in court breaking down in tears.
According to the Los Angeles county district attorney’s office, Masterson will be eligible for parole in 20 years.
In a statement after the sentencing, George Gascón, the Los Angeles district attorney, said “justice was finally served”.
“My hope is that this sentence will somehow bring them peace and that their bravery will be an example to others,” he said.
“One of my top priorities is to ensure that Los Angeles will no longer be a hunting ground for Hollywood elite who feel entitled to prey on women.”
Masterson played Steven Hyde on ‘That ’70s Show’ from 1998 to 2006. He also featured in the television comedy ‘Men at Work’ from 2012 to 2014 and recently appeared in the Netflix comedy show ‘The Ranch’.
He was however sacked from the comedy show in 2017 after the rape allegations emerged.
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