Actor Danny Masterson from That ’70s Show was found guilty on Wednesday of raping two women in his Hollywood Hills home.
According to Greg Risling, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, the jury was split on a different accusation that Masterson raped a third woman between 2001 and 2003. The actor had entered a not-guilty plea to the rape allegations.
Also Read: That 70’s Show star Danny Masterson guilty of rape on two counts: What sentence does the actor face?
The actor, who entered the courtroom free of charge and was led out in handcuffs, will likely receive a sentence of 30 years to life in jail. The Church of Scientology, of which Masterson is a member, emerged as a key element in the second trial.
Role of Church of Scientology in the trial:
At Masterson’s trial, the Church of Scientology was a dominant presence. The judge’s decision to admit expert testimony on Scientology at his retrial, which she had initially rejected, played a big part in the outcome. The Church of Scientology introduced Masterson to the accusers, and two of the women said the group dissuaded them from notifying law enforcement, which contributed to the case’s notoriety.
Also Read: Who is Bijou Phillips, wife of rape convict actor Danny Masterson?
Masterson is a well-known churchgoer. All three of his accusers are former churchgoers who left the organization following their claimed assaults because church leaders informed them what had happened wasn’t rape and the church’s rules forbade them from reporting the incidents to the police. This claim was denied by the Church of Scientology.
“The church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone, Scientologists or not, to law enforcement,” according to a statement cited by City News Service.
Also Read: Who is Christopher Masterson, brother of rape convict actor Danny Masterson?
The expert witness for the prosecution is Claire Headley, a former Scientology leadership officer who later turned against the organization and sued it in 2009 due to her experiences. Hugh Martin Whitt, an active high-level Scientologist, and Headley’s estranged stepfather was on the defense’s witness list; however, the defense did not call him or any other witnesses prior to the jury’s repose.
The actor, 47, may serve anywhere from 30 years to life in prison. As he was being led away, his wife, the actor, and model Bijou Phillips, sobbed. Other relatives and friends sat stone-faced.