Bill Cosby won’t be prosecuted for an allegation that he molested a woman when she was 15 years old at the Playboy Mansion in 1974.
According to a declination from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office obtained by TheWrap, the statute of limitations on Judy Huth’s claim has expired.
The D.A.’s Declination states, “In 1974, as it is today, the statute of limitations for a straight misdemeanor was one year. Therefore, given that 40 years have passed since the alleged incident, prosecution for [the claim] is declined due to statute of limitations.”
“Even if there was an applicable felony charge,” the documents said, “the statute of limitations that existed in 1974 for felony sex crimes was three years. Therefore, prosecution today for any potential felony sex crime from 1974 would also be barred.”
Huth said that Cosby brought her to the Playboy Mansion in 1974, instructing her to say that she was 19 if anyone asked. She claims she was actually 15 at the time.
“While at the Playboy Mansion, plaintiff told Cosby that she needed to use the bathroom,” her lawsuit reads. “Cosby directed her to a bathroom within a bedroom suite near
Since Huth came forward, former Playboy Bunny P.J. Masten said that Cosby assaulted her in a Chicago hotel, where she was working as a cocktail waitress for the Playboy Club.
Masten went on to claim that at least 12 other former Playboy Bunnies had also been attacked by Cosby, but were reluctant to tell their stories.
Earlier this week, Huth’s lawyer said he had interviewed two witnesses who corroborated her story.
Cosby’s lawyer Marty Singer had suggested that Huth’s accusations were a means of extortion, saying “Approximately 10 years ago, [she] unsuccessfully tried to get money from a tabloid by selling the same story about
There are no other pending lawsuits against Cosby at this time. Previously, he was sued in 2005 by a Temple University employee who claimed that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her. The TV legend settled the suit the next year. Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
As more than 20 women have accused Cosby of drugging and or sexual assault, the famous TV star and comedian previously told Florida Today in November, “I know people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy doesn’t have to answer to innuendos. People should fact check. People shouldn’t have to go through that and shouldn’t answer to innuendos.”
In the wake of the mounting allegations, attorney Singer previously released a statement saying: “The new, never-before-heard claims from women who have come forward in the past two weeks with unsubstantiated, fantastical stories about things they say occurred 30, 40, or even 50 years ago have escalated far past the point of absurdity.”
