The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office says it will not file criminal charges against comedian Bill Cosby over 2 sexual assault allegations dating back to 1965 and 2008, citing statutes of limitations and a lack of evidence.
The first case involved a woman who said she was 17 years old in 1965 when she taken to a Hollywood jazz club by Cosby, who allegedly provided her with alcoholic beverages. The woman told investigators that Cosby later took her to a residence in the Hollywood Hills and forced her to have sexual intercourse.
A charge evaluation worksheet provided by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office did not indicate whether investigators found any evidence to support the allegation, but said it is not possible to file charges for forcible rape due to the statute of limitations. “As such, any consideration of a criminal filing is prohibited by law. Therefore, prosecution is declined,” it said.
The other case referred to an allegation made by model Chloe Goins, who alleged that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Cosby while attending a “Midsummer Night’s Dream Party” at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles on August 9, 2008. Investigators found no evidence to support the allegation.
According to prosecutors, Goins told investigators that she attended the party with a friend and was introduced to Cosby, who allegedly provided Goins and her friend with alcoholic beverages. Goins said she started feeling dizzy and sick shortly afterwards and was led to an upstairs bedroom by Cosby to lie down.
“When she awoke, her clothes were off, her breasts felt moist, as if they had been licked, and the suspect was at the foot of the bed biting her toe. He appeared to be masturbating,” prosecutors said in the worksheet provided to the media. “Once she awoke, he quickly left the room and she found her clothing on the floor, dressed, and left the Playboy Mansion with her friend.”
Goins later told investigators that she was no longer sure whether the alleged assault took place during the “Midsummer Night’s Dream Party” event on August 9, 2008, but said she was certain that the party she attended with her friend took place during the summer of 2008.
Investigators went on to review video footage from the August 9 event, but neither Cosby nor the alleged victim appeared in any of the images. Additionally, investigators obtained evidence that Cosby was actually in New York on the weekend when the “Midsummer Night’s Dream Party” took place.
Because Goins indicated that the sexual assault could have happened during another party in the summer of 2008, investigators reviewed the guest lists of 56 documented events at the Playboy Mansion in 2008, but found no evidence that Cosby attended any party at the Mansion during that summer, though he visited one event in February.
Investigators also attempted to interview the woman who Goins said accompanied her to the party at the Playboy Mansion, but investigators were initially unsuccessful, having only an old cellphone number and a former place of employment. Later on, investigators located the woman in San Diego County, but she denied knowing Goins and said she had never visited the Playboy Mansion.
Prosecutors re-interviewed Goins on November 4 and although her statements were “consistent with prior statements,” the interview yielded no further evidence or investigative leads.
In summary, prosecutors said that the investigation found “insufficient evidence” to support any of the allegations made in reference to the 2008 case. “Consequently, after evaluating all potential charges, there is insufficient evidence to prove these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt,” the statement said.
The news comes exactly a week after prosecutors decided to charge Cosby with Aggravated Indecent Assault in connection with an alleged sexual assault that occurred at the comedian’s home in January 2004. The allegation was first made in 2005 but the case was initially dismissed, citing insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.
Kevin Steele, the first assistant district attorney in Montgomery County, said last week that new evidence had come to light that led to the criminal charges. Cosby appeared in court last week and his bail was set at $1 million, after which he was released.
Numerous women have come forward over the past year to accuse Cosby of sexual assault, but none have led to criminal charges so far. The comedian admitted in a 2005 deposition that he obtained a sedative with the intent of giving it to young women he wanted to have sex with, but his representatives defended those comments, saying the sedatives were a popular party drug in the 1970s and 80s.
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