The 'Cosby Show' star has been sentenced to serve 3 to 10 years behind bars for his 2004 sex assault as Montgomery County Judge reminds him that no one is above the law.
- Sep 26, 2018
AceShowbiz - Bill Cosby has been sentenced to serve three to 10 years behind bars for his 2004 sex assault.
Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill refused to consider probation or any kind of house arrest while determining exactly how long the comedian should spend behind bars in court in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, September 25.
Cosby was convicted for the 2004 rape of former Temple University employee Andrea Constand back in April, at the conclusion of the case's retrial.
Judge O'Neill's ruling comes almost three years after Cosby was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Constand.
"No one is above the law," O'Neill told the comic in the Montgomery County courtroom, insisting there would be "no probation, no limited confinement" and adding, "This is a court of law and I plan to sentence you under the law."
Cosby's attorneys are expected to file an appeal, but the funnyman's prison sentence began immediately. He had been under house arrest following his release on $1 million (£760,000) bail after his conviction.
Earlier in the proceedings on Tuesday, Cosby was formally designated as a sexually violent predator (SVP), and as such, he will spend the rest of days as a registered sex offender.
"The Cosby Show" star will now be required to check in with state police monthly, attend counselling sessions and provide details of any change in residence, once he is released from prison.
"If I went from a city to another city, even if it is only overnight, do I have to get in touch with the state police?" Cosby asked a Montgomery County Deputy District Attorney when the specifics of the SVP designation were read out to him. The lawmaker advised the actor to check with his own lawyers for clarification.
The 81-year-old was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Constand in April.
