47-year-old actor, who allegedly drugged women’s drinks, faces up to 30 years in prison after jury finds him guilty
In a Los Angeles retrial where the Church of Scientology was prominent, Danny Masterson, the actor best known for his part in That ’70s Show, was found guilty of two counts of rape on Wednesday.
After deliberating for seven days over two weeks, the jury of five men and seven women came to their decision. On the third count, which claimed Masterson had sexually assaulted a previous girlfriend, they were unable to reach a decision. The verdict had received an 8-4 vote in favour of conviction.
Handcuffed, Masterson was led from the courtroom. The actor, 47, could spend up to 30 years behind bars.
As he was being led away, his wife, the actor and model Bijou Phillips, sobbed. Other relatives and friends sat expressionless.
After a mistrial in December due to a deadlocked jury, prosecutors retried Masterson and claimed that between 2001 and 2003, he forcibly raped three women in his Hollywood Hills home, including a longtime girlfriend. They informed the jury that he had drugged the women’s drinks in order to rape them. All three women were members of the church at the time, and they claimed he used his status there to avoid consequences for many years.