Bill Cosby has been deemed a “sexually violent predator” by a Pennsylvania judge.
That designation means the disgraced actor must undergo counseling for the rest of his life and appear on the sex offenders’ registry.
A judge made the ruling Tuesday — ahead of sentencing the 81-year-old, who has been convicted of drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. In April, Cosby was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault against Andrea Constand for the crime.
A judge declared Bill Cosby a “sexually violent predator” and says he must register as a sex offender.
▪️ He was convicted of drugging and raping Andrea Constand
▪️ He has 50+ other accusers
▪️ He now faces up to 10 years in prison pic.twitter.com/3rWvGAyIjV— AJ+ (@ajplus) September 25, 2018
According to BBC, Tuesday’s classification means that he will need to register with state police, as well as notify any community he lives in of his sex offender status, on top of going to counseling for life.
Neighbors, childhood centers and schools will all be notified of his whereabouts.
Cosby’s two-day hearing at Montgomery County Courthouse in Pennsylvania began on Monday with a legal debate over the violent predator label. Cosby’s defense team had argued the state’s sex offender law was too severe given Cosby’s age and the fact that he is legally blind. On Monday, psychologist Kristen Dudley testified that Cosby showed signs of a mental disorder and was likely to reoffend if given the opportunity.
A judge has ruled that Bill Cosby is a ‘‘sexually violent predator.’’
The classification means that Cosby must undergo lifetime counseling and report quarterly to authorities. His name will also appear on a sex-offender registry. https://t.co/lQIEkQiDyT pic.twitter.com/lrxe4uZGeU— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) September 25, 2018
Cosby faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. There is no mandatory minimum for his convictions.
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