Pennsylvania state advisory board recommends that Bill Cosby should be classified as a 'sexually violent predator'
By Emily Crane
Daily Mail
July 24, 2018
A Pennsylvania state advisory board has recommended that Bill Cosby be deemed a 'sexually violent predator', which would require the convicted comedian to undergo counseling and register as a sex offender for life.
The Montgomery County District Attorney's office that prosecuted Cosby requested a hearing on Tuesday so a judge can make the final decision on whether the 81-year-old comedian should be considered sexually violent.
The 81-year-old comedian, who was convicted April 26 of aggravated indecent assault, was accused of drugging and assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his home near Philadelphia in 2004.
The weekslong retrial included testimony from five other women who were among the dozens to accuse Cosby of similar sexual misconduct.
The former TV star, once known as 'America's Dad' for his portrayal of kindly Dr Cliff Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show', is now under house arrest with a GPS ankle monitor awaiting sentencing.
He is only allowed to leave to visit doctors or lawyers ahead of his September 24 hearing. Cosby faces up to 10 years in prison but his representatives have said he plans to appeal.
The report by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, which examined 14 different criteria, is not public.
Copies are given to the prosecutor, defense attorney and court before the hearing and the board's assessor will likely testify about how she made the recommendation.
State law already requires Cosby to register as a sex offender because of the nature of the charge of which he was convicted.
The sexually violent predator classification would require increased treatment in prison and increased notification of neighbors upon release.
A person deemed a predator is subject to lifetime, at least monthly, mandatory sex offender counseling with a treatment provider approved by the state board.
Under Pennsylvania law, a sexually violent predator is a person who has 'a mental abnormality or personality disorder the makes the person likely to engage in predatory sexually violent offenses.'
Following news of the board's recommendation, Cosby's victim Andrea Constand tweeted: 'I am very thankful right now'.
Asked about the assessment board hearing, Cosby's spokesman Andrew Wyatt said: 'We will see them in court'.
It comes after police were called to Cosby's home earlier this month for a noise complaint while he was celebrating his 81st birthday.
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