That 70s Show actor Danny Masterson was found guilty of r*ping two women twenty years ago and was finally given a sentence of 30 years to life in jail on Thursday.
Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo of the Los Angeles Superior Court sentenced Masterson after hearing the women’s testimonies about the anguish and suffering they endured.
Masterson was sentenced after a jury found him responsible for two counts of r*pe in May. During the trial, the prosecution contended that famed scientologist Masterson exploited his position in the church as a shield from responsibility for the assaults.
Masterson wore a suit to the courtroom in Los Angeles on Thursday, as he watched the testimonies of his victims.
The first woman said: “When you r*ped me, you stole from me. That’s what r*pe is, a theft of the spirit.
“You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent,” she said. “The world is better off with you in prison.”
The other woman then spoke, saying he “has not shown an ounce of remorse for the pain he caused”. She added, “I knew he belonged behind bars for the safety of all the women he came into contact with. I am so sorry, and I’m so upset. I wish I’d reported him sooner to the police.”
The women, whose evidence resulted in Masterson’s arrest, claimed that he gave them alcohol, after which they passed out before he then s*xually assaulted them.
Masterson was on trial on three charges of r*pe last year, but the judge declared a mistrial when the original jury was unable to reach a judgement. Earlier this year, the prosecution retried Masterson on each of the three counts.
After deliberating for seven days, the jury found Masterson guilty on two charges. On the third complaint, which claimed that Masterson allegedly s*xually assaulted a longstanding girlfriend, they were unable to come to a conclusion.
The actor was sentenced by the judge after the defense’s plea for a fresh trial was denied. The defence requested for a sentence of 15 years to life and wanted the terms for the two convictions to run concurrently. However, he was sentenced to the entire 30-years-to-life, which the prosecution requested.
