(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was led away in handcuffs yesterday after being arrested and charged in New York City with rape and other sexual assault crimes, accusations his lawyer said he will vigorously fight in court.
A statement from the New York Police Department said Weinstein 'was arrested, processed and charged with rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women.
The prosecutor said the cases stem from incidents that occurred in 2013 and 2004.
'We believe they are constitutionally flawed, said Weinstein's attorney Benjamin Brafman, speaking to reporters after his client turned himself in. 'We believe they are not factually supported by the evidence.
Brafman said that his defence will be 'vigorous and that he believes Weinstein will be exonerated provided a jury can be seated that is not 'consumed by the #Me Too movement.
Brafman also said Weinstein posted $1mn in bail and turned over his passport.
He must wear a monitoring device while the criminal case against him proceeds and cannot leave the states of New York or Connecticut without permission.
The next hearing in the case was set for July 30.
Weinstein arrived early yesterday at the New York Police Department building in lower Manhattan wearing a jacket, a light blue pullover sweater and white-collared shirt.
After the charges against him were read he left the building and was driven to court for his arraignment.
Dozens of women including actresses Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, and Rose McGowan have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
McGowan, 44, has accused Weinstein of raping her at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
Now one of the leaders of the #MeToo movement, McGowan told ABC that she didn't think she would ever see him in arrested.
'I have a visceral need for him to have handcuffs on, she told the network.
'Today's charges reflect significant progress in this active, ongoing investigation, Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, said in a statement after Weinstein appeared in court. 'I thank the brave survivors who have come forward, and my office's prosecutors who have worked tirelessly on this investigation.
Weinstein also faces charges in London and Los Angeles.
The investigation into the allegations against Weinstein began after reports in October in New Yorker magazine and the New York Times in which several women accused him of sexual harassment and abuse.
Many of them said they feared going to police because Weinstein had the power to make or break their Hollywood careers.
According to legal documents filed earlier this year, knowledge of his behaviour was so widespread that employees at the Weinstein Company were tasked with preparing a room for Weinstein's sexual encounters, cleaning it up afterwards and returning items of clothing to women who had left them behind.
After the stories were published Weinstein lost his position at his production company, which has since filed for bankruptcy, and he was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which bestows the Oscars.
Women across the entertainment and news industries, emboldened by Weinstein's rapid fall from grace, began stepping forward with similar stories against other powerful men, many of whom resigned in disgrace or were dismissed.
The #MeToo movement, formed in the aftermath, encouraged victims of sexual abuse in the workplace worldwide to come forth with their stories and share them on social media.
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