Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty in second sex crime trial

Following on from the former Hollywood mogul’s first trial in 2020, Harvey Weinstein has once again been found guilty on charges of sex crimes, and could face up to 24 years when sentenced.

This sentencing would be added to his initial 2020 conviction, whereby he is already serving 23 years in jail after being found guilty on charges of rape and sexual assault at his New York trial in 2020.

The rape and sexual assault charges the Oscar winner was found guilty on were brought forth by accuser known as Jane Doe 1, a Russian-born model.

Verdicts could not be reached by the jury on allegations made by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, and a woman known as Jane Doe 2, and so a mistrial was declared.

A third Jane Doe’s accusations of sexual battery were also acquitted.

The 70-year-old former producer was reportedly pale-looking as he sat in the courthouse on Monday in a grey suit. Noticeably missing was the addition of Weinstein’s wheelchair, which at previous court appearances he had been photographed with.

Over the course of more than four weeks, the trial heard dozens of emotional testimonies, with yesterday’s verdict ultimately stemming from the allegations made by four women over a period from 2005-2013.

The jury comprised of eight men and four women spent a total of nine days deliberating on the three counts of rape and four other sexual assault charges.

Russian-born model, Jane Doe 1 testified that she had been at an Italian film festival in Los Angeles back in February 2012 when the disgraced producer showed up uninvited at her hotel room in Beverly Hills and proceeded to rape her.

In a statement after the verdict, the victim said:’ "Harvey Weinstein forever destroyed a part of me that night in 2013 and I will never get that back.”

"The criminal trial was brutal and Weinstein's lawyers put me through hell on the witness stand, but I knew I had to see this through to the end, and I did.”

"I hope Weinstein never sees the outside of a prison cell during his lifetime."

Ms Siebel Newsom’s emotional testimony also alleged that she was raped by Weinstein in a hotel room in 2005 when she was a documentary filmmaker.

California's first lady said in a statement on Monday after the verdict: "Throughout the trial, Weinstein's lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and bullying tactics to intimidate, demean, and ridicule us survivors.”

"The trial was a stark reminder that we as a society have work to do."

Of the four main accusers, the only other to publicly identify herself was Lauren Young who, as an aspiring actress and screenwriter at the time, accused the producer of sexually assaulting her in a hotel bathroom after she had met with him about a script in 2013.

Jane Doe 3 had a similar story. Although acquitted, the massage therapist accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in a hotel bathroom in 2010.

The producer’s original New York conviction in 2020 marked a monumental moment for the #MeToo movement, which lifted the lid on the film industry’s sordid association and history with sexual abuse and harassment.

Over the course of both trials, more than 80 women have come forward with sexual assault and misconduct accusations against Harvey Weinstein spanning several decades.

Weinstein is now in the midst of appealing against the New York conviction.