This post deals with sexual assault and might be triggering for some readers.
That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson has been found guilty of raping two women.
The 47-year-old was found guilty of two counts of rape in a retrial of a case involving three women, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A jury in Los Angeles, made up of seven women and five men, deliberated for over a week before reaching a verdict.
They could not reach a verdict on the third count, which alleged that Masterson raped a longtime girlfriend.
Masterson pleaded not guilty to three counts of felony rape, which were alleged to have taken place between 2001 and 2003.
The actor was led from the courtroom in handcuff son Wednesday. The 47-year-old actor faces up to 30 years in prison.
His wife, actor and model Bijou Phillips, wept as he was led away.
It came after the first trial ended in a mistrial in 2022, after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
Prosecutors said Masterson forcibly raped three women, who were members of the Church of Scientology, in his Hollywood Hills home. They told jurors he drugged the women's drinks so he could rape them. They said he used his prominence in the church to avoid consequences for decades.
Masterson did not testify, and his lawyers called no witnesses. The defence argued that the acts were consensual, and attempted to discredit the women's stories by highlighting changes and inconsistencies over time, which they said showed signs of co-ordination between them.
The women testified that when they reported Masterson to church officials, they were told they were not raped, were put through ethics programs themselves, and were warned against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing.
"They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against," Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told jurors in his closing argument.
"Scientology told them there's no justice for them. You have the opportunity to show them there is justice."
The church vehemently denied having any policy that forbids members from going to secular authorities.
Masterson's ex girlfriend, known as Jane Doe 3, said she was "devastated" the jury could not reach a verdict on the third count.
"I thank the jury for its service, and while I'm encouraged that Danny Masterson will face some criminal punishment, I am devastated that he has dodged criminal accountability for his heinous conduct against me," she said in a statement, as per ABC News.
"Despite my disappointment in this outcome, I remain determined to secure justice, including in civil court, where I, along with my co-plaintiffs, will shine a light on how Scientology and other conspirators enabled and sought to cover up Masterson's monstrous behavior."
More to come.
Read more: Danny Masterson starred on That 70s Show. He's now been charged with raping three women.
If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.
- With AAP.
Feature Image: Getty.