Danny Masterson, 47, famed for his role in That 70s Show, will not be eligible for parole until he is in his 70s. The actor is off to prison for 30 years to life after his convictions earlier this summer on rape charges.
"When you raped me, you stole from me," said one woman who Masterson was convicted of raping in 2003. "That's what rape is, a theft of the spirit.""You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent," she said. "The world is better off with you in prison."Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo handed down the sentence to the 47-year-old Masterson after hearing statements from the women, and pleas for fairness from defense attorneys.
The case was notable for its connection to Scientology, which the victims and Masterson were born into: the woman claim they were discouraged from reporting Masterson to authorities and harassed after doing so—which would be nothing new for the notoriously hostile organization.
The women blamed the church for their hesitancy in going to police about Masterson. They testified that when they reported him to Scientology 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.
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