Bill Cosby has been officially sentenced to “three to ten years” in state prison after being found guilty of the sexual assault of Andrea Constand, the AP reports. He’s expected to go to prison immediately.
The 81-year-old disgraced comedian, who had dozens of women come forward with stories of alleged sexual assaults, was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault for the 2004 incident that took place in his home in Philadelphia, Penn.
During the sentencing, the judge declared Cosby to be a “sexually violent predator,” meaning he will have to register with the sex-offender registry, report to authorities and undergo monthly counseling.
Cosby‘s maximum sentence could have been up to 30 years in prison, though cases similar to this with someone with no prior convictions have often resulted in one to four years.
In her victim statement, Andrea wrote, “Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature, and my trust in myself and others. I’ve never married and I have no partner. I live alone. My dogs are my constant companions, and the members of my immediate family are my closest friends….Thank you to all of the friends, old and new, who have stood by me. You know who you are, and each and every one of you has made a huge difference. Please know that.”
