Bill Cosby Was Just Sentenced to a Prison Term For Sexual Assault

Footage of Bill Cosby heading to court on the morning of September 25 showed the disgraced comedian with a smile on his face, which seems odd considering the developments of the day. (Not to mention the 60 accusations of sexual assault that have been filed against him.) It's just been reported that the 81-year-old has been sentenced to serve three to ten years at a state prison. 

And even ahead of that sentencing, the judge in the case had ruled that Cosby will be classified as a "sexually violent predator." This means that Cosby's name will appear in a register of sex offenders that is sent out across neighborhoods and to schools; the label also means that Cosby will have to undergo counseling for the rest of his life. 

Other developments in Tuesday's court session included the release of a full victim statement by Andrea Constand, who accused Cosby of drugging and raping her at his home in 2004. In the statement, Constand wrote: "The psychological, emotional and financial bullying included a slander campaign in the media that left my entire family reeling in shock and disbelief."

This recent trial lasted 13 days, and included testimonies from five women in addition to Constand. (Cosby also had a trial in June of 2017, which ended in mistrial after the jury had two not-guilty holdouts.) When announcing this sentence, the judge said, "I'm not permitted to treat him any differently based on who he is or who he was." The judge also referred to — and addressed — one victim: "As she [Constand] said, Mr. Cosby, you took her beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it," before telling Constand, "I heard the very clear impact on your life."