Bill Cosby (aged 81), the renowned comedian and sitcom lead, was sentenced to 3-10 years in prison for multiple counts of aggravated indecent assault this past Tuesday, September 25. His sentencing corresponds to his April conviction.

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Cosby has also been ordered to pay a fine of $25,000 in addition to prosecution costs which total upwards of $420,000. He will be classified as a sexually violent predator take legally mandated classes. Although the sentence of 3-10 years would normally compound with 3 counts, they have been merged since all 3 counts took place at the same event.

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Charges were first pressed in December 2015, just days before the statute of limitations would have expired. Two trials ensued: in 2017, a hung jury, and 2018, with successful prosecution.

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This all began when Andrea Constand, a former employee at Temple University, was drugged and assaulted by Cosby in his home in 2004. The incident was settled in a civil court in 2005 with a financial settlement of $3.4 million; statements from this proceeding were used to further convict Cosby this past April, according to NPR. Constand also wrote a five-page letter prior to the April conviction describing the emotional pain the incident has caused her, which the sentencing judge has cited as a strong influence in determining Cosby’s sentence.

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“Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature, and my trust in myself and others,” wrote Constand.

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Chelan Lasha, one of Cosby’s alleged victims, said, “I’m very happy to know that Mr. Cosby will do time in prison. That he is touchable, like he touched us unwillingly.”

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Cosby’s defense attorney Joseph P. Green said that, “Eight-one-year-old blind men who are not self sufficient are not a danger, unless perhaps to themselves.”

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Cosby’s spokesperson Andrew Wyatt called the prosecution “the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States […] we know what this country has done to black men for centuries.”

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Once the wholesome lead of “The Cosby Show” and prolific comedian with around a couple dozen comedy albums, Cosby’s sentencing marks a significant moment in the #MeToo era.

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Litigator Priya Sopori says she was surprised by Cosby's sentence, given his age and health. "I think it would be tough to argue that he continues to be a danger to society as an 81-year-old blind man," she said. "This isn't about protection. This is about retribution.”

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Law professor Deborah Tuerkheimer noted that "In many respects, I think this was the precursor to the furor that ignited with the Harvey Weinstein allegations surfacing" (NPR).