Actor Danny Masterson Sentenced To 30 Years To Life In Rape Case

That ‘70s Show actor Danny Masterson was sentenced Thursday to 30 years to life in prison after he was found guilty of two counts of rape in May.

Jurors found the 47-year-old actor guilty of two counts of rape after seven days of deliberations, making him eligible for between 30 years and life in prison. The jury could not come to a unanimous decision on a third count, allegedly involving his long-term girlfriend of the time.

“Mr. Masterson, I know that you’re sitting here steadfast in your claims of innocence, and thus no doubt feeling victimized by a justice system that has failed you,” Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo told Masterson. “But Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice, and choice. One way or another you will have to come to terms with your prior actions, and their consequences.”

Masterson’s attorneys are expected to appeal the sentence.

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Masterson has been jailed since he was found guilty of two counts of rape by force or fear, one accuser saying she was sodomized and another that she was dragged across the floor. Jurors agreed with their testimonies that Masterson had drugged them at his house before raping them.

“When you raped me, you stole from me,” said one woman who Masterson was convicted of raping in 2003. “That’s what rape is, a theft of the spirit.”

Church of Scientology denies accusers' testimonies

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Masterson’s status in the Church of Scientology, of which his victims were also members, helped protect him from repercussions for decades after the attacks. The church denied those allegations.

“The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone — Scientologists or not — to law enforcement. Quite the opposite, Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land. All allegations to the contrary are totally FALSE,” church officials said in a statement.

The women, who continue to be unnamed, said they were intimidated against speaking to law enforcement when they reported Masterson to church officials. The women were also put through their own ethics program and told they weren’t in fact raped. Church officials denied their allegations after the verdict.

The accusations came to light in 2017 when Masterson was one of the most visible and high profile Scientology members. He was later arrested in 2020, charged and posted at $3.3 million bail.

The church said in a statement after the May verdict that the “testimony and descriptions of Scientology beliefs” during the trial were “uniformly false.”

“We want to express our gratitude to the three women who came forward and bravely shared their experiences,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement after the verdict in May.