Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was charged in Los Angeles on Monday on sex crime charges just hours after he appeared in a New York court for the start of his rape trial, which has become a focal point for the #MeToo movement.
The former film mogul was charged with the sexual assault of two unidentified women in 2013, said Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey. He was charged with raping one woman and sexually assaulting the other.
"We believe the evidence will show that the defendant used his power and influence to gain access to his victims and then commit violent crimes against them," Lacey said.
Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting two women in New York. He faces life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault.
The charges added to heightened emotions and tension surrounding the trial as jury selection begins on Tuesday.
Film producer Harvey Weinstein leaves court on the first day of a sexual assault trial in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 6, 2020. /Reuters Photo
"L.A. INDICTMENT! Cant breathe," wrote actress Rose McGowan, who has accused Weinstein of raping her, on Twitter. "Happy trial day to you, Mr. Weinstein. Welcome to the rest of your life, hope you'll have as much fun as we have had being in your jail."
According to court filings, Mr. Weinstein went to a woman's hotel room and raped her after a brief talk on February 17, 2013, and a day later he sexually assaulted another woman at a hotel suite.
It is said that both victims told at least one person about the assault in 2013 and reported the crimes to police in 2017.
Weinstein faces up to 28 years in California prison if convicted on the charges, Lacey said. Three other cases were being considered for charges, she said.
"Once the defendant's case is completed in New York, we expect him to appear in a courtroom in Los Angeles County to face these charges," the Los Angeles prosecutor said.
Demonstrators holding placards are seen outside court ahead of the first day of Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault trial in New York City, New York, U.S., January 6, 2020. /Reuters Photo
More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct dating back decades.
Weinstein has denied the allegations, saying any sexual encounters he had were consensual.
Those accusations helped fuel the #MeToo movement, in which hundreds of women have publicly accused powerful men in business, politics, the news media and entertainment of sexual harassment or assault.
Earlier on Monday, Weinstein hobbled in and out of the Manhattan court, aided by a walker and with a member of his team holding his arm as he recovers from recent back surgery.
Judge James Burke ordered Weinstein's lawyer Rotunno to refrain from talking about witnesses, after she was accused of degrading and humiliating them, which she denied.
Actress Rosanna Arquette stands outside court ahead of the first day of Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault trial in New York City, New York, U.S., January 6, 2020. /Reuters Photo
Near the courthouse, the Silence Breakers, a group of Weinstein accusers including actresses Rosanna Arquette and McGowan, held a news conference and waved signs demanding accountability for Weinstein.
The beginning of the criminal trial and the new charges "are a clear indication that the risks we took and the consequences we subsequently faced were not in vain," the group said in a statement.
"As we stand here at the beginning of a new year and a new decade, time's up on sexual harassment in all workplaces," said Arquette, referencing the #TimesUp movement that opposes sexual harassment. "And time's up on the pervasive culture of silence that has enabled abusers like Weinstein."
Allegations against Weinstein were first reported in the New York Times and The New Yorker magazine in October 2017.
#MeToo became one of the most used widely used hashtags, viewed 42 billion times in 2019, according to data from Brandwatch, a research firm.
(With input from Reuters)