Manhattan prosecutor brings new charges against Harvey Weinstein

NEW YORK - The Manhattan district attorney on Monday announced new criminal charges against film producer Harvey Weinstein, who had been charged with rape and a criminal sexual act in May.

The new charges include predatory sexual assault and involve a third woman in addition to the two mentioned in the earlier charges. Weinstein, 66, once one of Hollywood's most powerful film makers, has pleaded not guilty to the first set of charges.

Benjamin Brafman, Weinstein's lawyer, could not be reached immediately for comment.

"This indictment is the result of the extraordinary courage exhibited by the survivors who have come forward," District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said in a statement. "Our investigation continues."

More than 70 women have accused the Miramax film studio's co-founder of sexual misconduct, including rape, in a series of incidents dating back decades. The accusations gave rise to the #MeToo movement, which has seen hundreds of women publicly accusing powerful men in business, government and entertainment of sexual harassment and abuse.

The Weinstein Co's board fired him, the company filed for bankruptcy in March, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expelled him.

In years past, the academy had showered him with Oscars for a string of films that helped define independent cinema in the 1990s, including "Shakespeare in Love" and "Pulp Fiction." 

Reuters