Harvey Weinstein surrenders in NY, charged with rape

Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie mogul, who became the scourge of the #metoo sexual harassment movement last year, turned himself into New York City authorities this morning on what are expected to be felony rape charges.

Wearing a black suit and a sky blue sweater with no tie, Weinstein got out of a black SUV and surrendered to authorities at the First Police Precinct in Manhattan at 6:30 a.m. CST.

Weinstein, who suffered a catastrophic fall from grace from among the top Hollywood movers and shakers, has been accused by nearly 100 different women of inappropriate touching, groping, sexual advances, public masturbation and, reportedly in the case of two New York women, rape.

After processing where he was fingerprinted and his mugshot taken, Weinstein was placed in handcuffs and whisked away in an unmarked SUV to a New York Court. He was then formally charged with rape and sexual abuse in two separate cases. His bail was set at $1 million. During additional processing in court, he surrendered his passport, was limited in his ability to travel and was fitted with an ankle bracelet that will monitor his movement through GPS.

The 66-year-old Weinstein had been considered one of the world’s most powerful entertainment figures, presiding over the Weinstein Entertainment firm that bore his name, until investigative reports from the New Yorker and the New York Times revealed that he was among the worst sexual harassment offenders.  

Following these revelations, he was banned for life from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) which hosts the Oscars, the Producers Guild of America and the TV Academy. In addition, both he and his brother were booted from Weinstein Entertainment before the board of directors announced plans to dissolve the firm permanently.