Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced on Wednesday that her office is establishing a task force to handle Hollywood’s mounting sexual harassment allegations.
“In response to the widespread allegations of sexual abuse in the entertainment industry, I have established a task force of specially trained deputy district attorneys who are ready to evaluate these cases if any are referred to my office for criminal prosecution,” Lacey said in a statement. “I have assigned the group of veteran sex crimes prosecutors to work together to ensure a uniformed approach to the legal review and possible prosecution of any case that meets both the legal and factual standards for criminal prosecution.”
Lacey said that her office has not yet received any cases for criminal filing, and that it is continuing to communicate with Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police. Lacey’s announcement comes hours after The New York Times published a story in which five women accused comedian Louis C.K. of sexual harassment, and a day after Sony announced that Kevin Spacey would be removed from the J. Paul Getty biopic “All The Money In The World,” with his role being taken in reshoots by Christopher Plummer. Netflix has also announced that it is severing all ties with Spacey in the midst of production on the sixth and final season of “House of Cards.”
