American actor Danny Masterson, known for his role as Steven Hyde in the popular series That '70s Show, has been found guilty of two of the three rape charges for which he was indicted in 2020.
The actor was taken out of a Los Angeles court in handcuffs and could face a sentence between 30 years and life imprisonment after a jury found him guilty of the facts in a second trial in which the Church of Scientology - of which Masterson is faithful- he played a pivotal role.
The 47-year-old actor will be held without bail until the sentence is known, which will arrive on August 4. A spokesman for the actor declined to comment, but did say it was very likely they would try to appeal the jury's decision.
Masterson's wife, actress and model Bijou Phillips, was speechless as the verdict was read, sobbing uncontrollably as her husband was handcuffed by the courtroom officers, while the actor's family stood in complete shock, unable to react.
"I am experiencing a complex series of emotions - relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness - knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face responsibility for his criminal behavior," one of the women said in a post-trial statement, to whom Masterson knew from being a member of the church, and whom he raped in his home in 2003.
The third of his victims, the actor's ex-partner and whose testimony stunned the jury, also issued a statement, despite the fact that the actor has not been found guilty of his attack. "While I am relieved that Danny Masterson will face some criminal punishment, I am devastated that he has shied away from responsibility for his egregious conduct against me."
The actor was arrested in 2020 accused of having committed three rapes of three women between 2001 and 2003. Masterson turned himself in to the Californian police and was transferred to a jail, although he was finally released after paying a bail of 3.3 million of dollars.
The actor, partner of Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis in the popular series, was to be indicted last September in relation to the crimes attributed to him, which allegedly took place at his Hollywood home, but a deadlocked jury led to a mistrial.
The Los Angeles police sexual crimes unit began investigating the interpreter at the end of 2016. Shortly after, several of the women who accused him of raping them claimed to have been coerced and threatened by the Church of Scientology, which would have tried to silence them and scuttle the case through his own legal team.
"We want to express our gratitude to the three women who came forward and courageously shared their experiences," Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement after the verdict Wednesday.
