“That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison Thursday for raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s.
The 47-year-old actor and prominent Scientologist was found guilty on two counts of forcible rape on May 31 and was sentenced to 15 years to life for each count. The jury could not reach a verdict on an additional count of rape involving a third woman.
Prosecutors alleged that Danny Masterson drugged and sexually assaulted the women, who were also Scientologists at the time, between 2001 and 2003. They testified that the Church of Scientology protected Masterson, harassed and stalked the victims, and prevented them from reporting the assaults to the police.
harassed, intimidated and stalked them
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Danny Masterson was charged with three rapes in June 2020. The first trial ended in November 2022 with a deadlocked jury. In the second trial, Masterson was found guilty of two counts of rape. The judge did not allow the mention of drugging in the first trial, but the jury learned that the women were “incapacitated” during the assaults.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File
Danny Masterson pleaded not guilty to the charges and did not testify in his own defense in both trials. His defense team rested without calling any witnesses.
The Church of Scientology denied the allegations and accused the victims of making false accusations for financial gain. They also claimed that the trial violated their First Amendment rights.
In the second trial, a former Scientology official, Claire Headley, testified as an expert witness on the church’s policies and its interactions with law enforcement. These policies have been criticized for their control and abuse.
According to Headley, Scientologists are instructed not to call the police without specific authorization, particularly when the matter involves a fellow Scientologist.
Jane Does 2 and 3 showed tremendous strength and bravery by coming forward to law enforcement and participating in the trials. Despite facing harassment, obstruction, and intimidation, these courageous women helped hold a sexual predator accountable. They also plan to share their full story about Scientology and its efforts to silence them.
The trial faced controversy when Danny Masterson’s original attorneys were sanctioned for allegedly sharing confidential information about the women with a lawyer defending the Church of Scientology in a separate case. New attorneys have denied any sharing of information.
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