Harvey Weinstein charged with rape in New York

Former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been charged in New York with rape and several counts of sexual abuse stemming from two separate accusers.

Mr Weinstein turned himself in to police in the city earlier in the day.

Dozens of women have made allegations against the 66 year old, including rape and sexual assault, and giving rise to the #MeToo movement.

Mr Weinstein has denied committing any non-consensual sex acts. He is now out on bail, wearing a monitoring device.

A statement from the New York Police Department said Mr Weinstein "was arrested, processed and charged with rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women".

He arrived at the police station in lower Manhattan at 07:30 (12:30 BST) on Friday, carrying three books. After having his mugshot and fingerprints taken, he was led out in handcuffs and taken to court.

During a brief court appearance, during which Mr Weinstein did not speak, prosecutor Joan Illuzzi said the former mogul had "used his position, money and power to lure young women into situations where he was able to violate them sexually".

Mr Weinstein was released on a $1m bail bond. His lawyer Ben Brafman told reporters outside the court the disgraced mogul would enter a not guilty plea.

"We intend to move very quickly to dismiss these charges," Mr Brafman said. "We believe that they are constitutionally flawed. We believe that they are not factually supported by the evidence."

Source:BBC