Harvey Weinstein faces new charges of sexual assault

Former Hollywood producer and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein was been charged on Friday with a new sex crime in Los Angeles. He was already facing a sentence of 23 years in prison after being convicted by a judge in New York.

Prosecutors from Los Angeles charged Weinstein, 68, with sexual battery by restraint in an incident that allegedly occurred at a Beverly Hills hotel on May 11, 2010. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said the incident falls within the 10-year statute of limitations.

"As we gather corroborating evidence, we have reached out to other possible sexual assault victims. If we find new evidence of a previously unreported crime, as we did here, we will investigate and determine whether additional criminal charges should be filed,” LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said.

Read more: Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 23 years in prison

Prosecutors had already charged Weinstein in January with two separate cases of sexual assault that occurred in 2013. He now faces up to 29 years in prison on the Los Angeles area charges.

Harvey Weinstein was convicted of charges of rape and sexual assault in February this year. This was one of the most high-profile trials, and was hailed as a victory for the #MeToo movement.

Weinstein was placed in quarantine at the Wende correctional facility in New York last month, after testing positive for Covid-19. He was released from isolation after two weeks, as he showed no symptoms of coronavirus.

tg/aw (AP, dpa)