Bill Cosby sentenced to state prison for sexual assault

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A judge in Pennsylvania has jailed comedian Bill Cosby for three to 10 years for sexual assault.

Cosby, 81, was also categorised as a sexually violent predator, meaning he must undergo counselling for life and be listed on the sex offender registry.

The actor declined to make a statement when offered the opportunity.

At a retrial in April, Cosby was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault for drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004.

Cosby's request for bail pending appeal was denied.

• Seven questions answered about Cosby case

The comedian became a household name in 1980s America when he starred in the Cosby Show TV sitcom, playing the father in a well-to-do African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York.

Such was his po[CENSORED]rity that he was dubbed "America's Dad".

What did the judge say?

 

"This was a serious crime," Judge Steven O'Neill was quoted as saying by CNN after pronouncing the sentence in the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown.

"Mr Cosby, this has all circled back to you. The day has come, the time has come."

He told Ms Constand that he had "heard the very clear impact" the assault had on her life.

How did Ms Constand describe the effect the assault had had on her?

In June 2017, the former Temple University administrator described how Cosby, whom she had viewed as a "mentor", had given her pills that left her "frozen" and unable to stop his assault.

In her impact statement, as carried by the National Post, she said: "To truly understand the impact that the sexual assault has had on my life, you have to understand the person that I was before it happened."