A court in Los Angeles on Thursday sentenced US actor Danny Masterson, a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, to 30 years in prison for raping two women.
The 47-year-old actor, known for his role in the series 'That ’70s Show,' had been found guilty in June. On Thursday, he received the maximum sentence.
At his trial, three women, also Scientologists, accused him of raping them at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003.
The jurors found in favour of two of the plaintiffs but did not reach the unanimity needed for a verdict on the third.
At the hearing, the prosecution charged that the actor had “drugged and raped” his victims.
This case, triggered in 2017 in the wake of the accusations against ex-producer Harvey Weinstein that provoked the birth of the #MeToo movement, also raised questions about the role of the Church of Scientology.
In particular, two of the plaintiffs said the organisation, which has a very strong presence in Los Angeles, had dissuaded them from contacting the police.
Masterson’s defence, meanwhile, insisted that the plaintiffs’ version had evolved over the years and suggested that prejudice against Scientology may have motivated the trial.
At a previous trial in November, a different jury declined to reach a verdict because it was unable to reach unanimity.
After the actor’s arrest in June 2020, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office reported that it had dropped two other sexual assault charges against him due to a lack of evidence and because the statute of limitations had expired.
