At the beginning of June, news came to light confirming that American actor Danny Masterson, known for his role as Steven Hyde in the popular series That '70s Show, had been found guilty of two of the three counts of rape by those who were accused in 2020.
Although he knew that he would have to pay for the crimes he had committed, the actor was awaiting the sentence. This document was made public last Thursday, September 7. After an extensive study of the case and the circumstances surrounding it, Masterson has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the aforementioned crimes.
The artist will serve time for sexually assaulting two women inside his Hollywood home after having met them as members of the Church of Scientology from 2001 to 2003.
During the trials, the man from New York avoided taking the stand, but he flatly denied at all times that he had sexually assaulted any of the women who reported him to the authorities.
The legal process that the actor has gone through has received great media attention, since the controversial religious movement to which the accused and the victims belonged was involved in the matter. This religion, considered by many to be a sect, confused girls and justified rape. Additionally, the women stated that they were threatened with excommunication if they publicly reported the case.
In 2021, the Los Angeles Superior Court decided to initiate proceedings against Masterson after finding "more than sufficient evidence" in the victims' testimonies, something that greatly surprised the artist. It should be said that, throughout the process, the accused's defense complained that there were many prejudices about the religion professed by the actor, something that made an impartial verdict difficult.
At the moment it is unknown what the reaction of the accused, his family or the victims has been to the announcement of the sentence that condemns the actor to spend three decades in prison. However, when the actor was declared guilty, his wife, Bijou Phillips, could be seen surprised and unable to stop crying at the door of the courthouse.
One of the victims also spoke openly: "I am experiencing a series of complex emotions - relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness - knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face responsibility for his criminal behavior."
