Bill Cosby was charged in Pennsylvania today for aggravated $exual assault and will be arraigned later tonight.
An arrest warrant has since been issued for Bill Cosby for allegedly drugging and $exually assaulting former Temple employee Andrea Constand at his Elkins Park, Pennsylvania mansion in January 2004, the announcement was made by the District Attorney-Elect Kevin Steele ealier today (Wednesday) at press conference.
Cosby is expected to be arraigned later this afternoon in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania court.
“A prosecutor’s job is to follow the evidence wherever it leads and whenever it comes to light,” Steele said. “Upon examination of all the evidence, today we are able to seek justice on behalf of the victim.”
Steele said that Constant “came to consider Mr. Cosby her victim and her friend.”
He said that Cosby “made two $exual advances at her that were rejected.” He added, “Mr. Cosby urged her to take pills and to drink wine, the effect of which left her unable to [rebuff his advances].”
Prosecutor say the the release of a deposition last summer from a 2005 civil suit filed by Constand, in which Cosby admitted to giving quaaludes to women he wanted to have $ex with, caused the District Attorney’s office to reopen the case.
Constand was not available for comment but one of her attorneys expressed gratitude toward the prosecutor.
“Obviously we appreciate the expression of confidence in her,” says Dolores Troiani of her client, Constand, 42, who is now a massage therapist in Ontario, Canada. “We’ll have to see what happens. We hope justice will be done. We will cooperate fully.”
Cosby has previously said what happened between him and Constand was consensual, but in new court filings last summer Constand said she was in a relationship with a woman at the time. She also called Cosby a “narcissist” who missed cues that she’s gay.
The statute of limitations to charge Cosby runs out in January.