Latest news with #CriminalSexual
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein Found Guilty on One Charge in New York Rape Retrial
Originally appeared on E! Online A portion of Harvey Weinstein's fate has been decided. A jury found the former Hollywood producer guilty of one of the three sex crimes charges in his New York retrial on June 11. Weinstein was convicted of the charge of a Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, stemming from his 2006 alleged assault of former production assistant Miriam Haley. He was found not guilty of a charge of a Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree over his alleged assault of Kaja Sokola in 2006. The jury has yet to reach a verdict on the third count, relating to the alleged 2013 rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann. (Deliberations are set to continue June 12.) Weinstein, 73, was originally found guilty of third-degree rape and one count of criminal sexual act in the first degree during his trial in 2020, resulting in a 23-year sentence behind bars, per NBC News. However, his conviction was overturned in April 2024, with New York's highest court determining that improper testimony had been allowed at the trial. 'We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,' the court said, "because that testimony served no material non-propensity purpose." More from E! Online 1000-Lb Sisters: Tammy Slaton Unveils Transformation After Skin Removal Surgery Miley Cyrus Says She Lost Hotel Transylvania Role Over Penis Cake Scandal Love Is Blind's Lydia Gonzalez and Milton Johnson Break Up After Nearly 3 Years of Marriage Weinstein—who has pleaded not guilty—was accused of performing oral sex on former Project Runway production assistant Haley in 2006 without her consent and raping aspiring actress Mann in 2013. In his retrial, he also faced a new allegation from Sokola, who said she met Weinstein at a club in 2002 when she was 16 and working as a fashion model, according to The New York Times. She alleged that he forcibly performed oral sex on her at a hotel in Manhattan four years later, leading to one more count of a first-degree criminal sexual act, per NBC News. 'They all had dreams of pursuing careers in the defendant's world, the entertainment industry,' prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told jurors June 3, per The Associated Press. "He was going to have their bodies and touch their bodies whether they wanted him to or not.' But, according to the outlet, Weinstein's lawyer argued, 'It's transactional, folks. Yes, he wants to fool around with them, and yes, they want something from him." Since the start of the #MeToo movement, over 80 women have accused the Oscar winner of sexual misconduct, though he maintains his interactions were consensual, per NBC. Weinstein—who was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer last year—is also serving 16 years in prison following a separate 2022 conviction of one count of forcible rape and two counts of sexual assault in his Los Angeles case. (E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.) For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit
Fox News
19-02-2025
- Fox News
New York Gov. Hochul fuels hate crime speculation in transgender slaying; state police find 'no indication'
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul fueled hate crime speculation in the slaying of a 24-year-old transgender victim, as the district attorney's office and state police said there was "no indication" of such a motive. "I have directed State Police to provide any and all support and resources to the District Attorney as they continue their investigation, including into whether this was a hate crime," Hochul wrote in a Sunday statement. Hochul's post came the same day as a joint statement from the New York State Police and the Ontario County District Attorney. New York State Police said it found the remains of 24-year-old Sam Nordquist on Friday in Yates County. "At this time we have no indication that Sam's murder was a hate crime," the Ontario County's District Attorney's office and the New York State Police said Sunday in a joint release. "To help alleviate the understandable concern his murder could be a hate crime, we are disclosing that Sam and his assailants were known to each other, identified as LGBTQ+, and at least one of the defendants lived with Sam in the time period leading up to the instant offense." Authorities said Precious Arzuaga, 38; Jennifer A. Quijano, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Patrick A. Goodwin, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19, had all been arrested and charged with second-degree murder with depraved indifference, the New York State Police said. Records, reviewed by Fox News Digital, revealed that three of the five suspects had criminal histories – spanning from child sex crimes to theft. Arzuaga has four misdemeanor convictions, including petty larceny, criminal trespass and the sale of an imitation control substance. Sage was convicted of larceny and disseminating indecent material to a minor. New York state records revealed that he was on parole when arrested after being released from prison on May 30, 2024. Goodwin was convicted of child sex crimes in 2015, and is a registered Level 3 sex offender, records show. Goodwin was convicted by the Ontario County Sheriffs Office for Criminal Sexual Act-1st Degree, with the victim being under 11 years old. He was sent to prison in 2015 for 10.5 years. According to New York State records, Goodwin was released and placed on parole on June 6, 2023. A search of the state corrections system did not reveal any information regarding Arzuago, Quijano and Motyka. A hate crime in New York is defined in Penal Law Section 485.05 as an offense committed "in whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception regarding the race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation of a person, regardless of whether the belief or perception is correct." Retired New York Police Department inspector Paul Mauro told Fox News Digital that short of new evidence, this case will be charged as a regular murder case. "Now with transgenderism as a protected hate crime class, in a very blue state, you can rest assured that if they were in any way, shape or form capable of bringing this as a hate crime, they would," he said. "They don't want the blowback of saying they're ignoring a hate crime, but they're not doing that, so they mustn't have that. It is possible they could gather more evidence." Police said members of Norquist's family were last in touch at the end of January. Authorities launched a missing person investigation last week after receiving a welfare check request from the family. Police found Nordquist's body on Thursday, Feb. 15, in a Yates County, New York, field. Police believe Nordquist endured prolonged physical and psychological abuse and repeated acts of violence and torture between early December and early February. "In my 20-year law enforcement career, this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated," Capt. Kelly Swift of the State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation said at a news conference on Friday. "The facts and the circumstances of this crime are beyond depraved," added James Ritts, the district attorney of Ontario County. Hochul on Sunday called Nordquist's slaying "horrific and brutal." "The charges against these individuals are sickening and all New Yorkers should join together to condemn this horrific act. We are praying for Sam Nordquist's family, community and loved ones who are experiencing unimaginable grief," the governor said. Hochul's office said the governor is committed to providing a safe community for all people. "We remain focused on holding these individuals accountable and will continue to work tirelessly to complete the investigation into Sam's murder," her office said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Hochul's office for comment.
