Danny Masterson, best known for his role in the iconic That '70s Show, has been found guilty of two counts of rape.
On Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom, a jury consisting of seven women and five men found the actor guilty of raping two women, one of which was a former girlfriend to the star, in a re-trial case involving the Church of Scientology.
While the 12 jurors reached a decision on two of the cases presented to them after deliberating for seven days over a period of two weeks, a third case, which alleged that Masterson raped a long-time girlfriend of his, was dropped following an 8-4 in favor of conviction.
The verdict means that the actor could be looking at 30 years in prison for his crimes.
As per the Associated Press, Masterson’s wife, actor and model Bijou Phillips, physically gasped when the verdict was read and started weeping as he was taken into custody, while a group of family and friends sat expressionless behind him throughout both trials.
Speaking of the verdict after it was announced – one of the women, whom Masterson knew as a fellow Church of Scientology member and was convicted of raping her at his home back in 2003, said she's experiencing many emotions.
"I am experiencing a complex array of emotions — relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness — knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face accountability for his criminal behavior," she said in a statement.
Another woman, who was a former girlfriend of the star, opened up about her case not reaching a solid verdict.
"While I’m encouraged that Danny Masterson will face some criminal punishment, I am devastated that he has dodged criminal accountability for his heinous conduct against me," she said as per the outlet.
A representative for Masterson declined to comment at the time, but AP reported that his attorneys will almost certainly appeal the decision.
The initial case, which alleged that he drugged and forcibly raped three women in his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003, led to a mistrial back in December but prosecutors retried the star, adding that he used his prominence in the church - where he met the three women who were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for a long time.
The women also claimed that they reported the crimes to church officials only to be punished with "ethics programs" as well as warnings to not take this to law enforcement though it has to be said that the church has denied these claims, stating that "there is not a scintilla of evidence supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers."
"They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against," Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller said in his closing argument. "Scientology told them there’s no justice for them."
However, the defense argued that all sexual activity between Masterson and the women were consensual while also attempting to discredit their recollection of events, stating that the so-called "inconsistencies" showed signs of collaboration between the victims.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón thanked the women for their courage to come forward, saying: "We want to express our gratitude to the three women who came forward and bravely shared their experiences."
Masterson will be held without bail until he is sentenced.
No sentencing date has been set as of yet.
