AngelesLos Angeles, NYC, London chase growing mass of sex cases
LOS
ANGELES (AP) — Police in London, Los Angeles and New York are working
to untangle an ever-growing mass of sexual assault and harassment
complaints …
LOS
ANGELES (AP) — Police in London, Los Angeles and New York are working
to untangle an ever-growing mass of sexual assault and harassment
complaints against powerful men, creating challenges even for big cities
used to handling celebrities.
Most
of the cases stem from claims against media mogul Harvey Weinstein —
but authorities say they've also taken complaints made against other men
in power.
"It's
an international phenomenon," NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce
said when asked about investigations into Weinstein. "These ladies were
sexually assaulted, harassed, and they acquired psychological damage, so
we have to move very cautiously with anyone who comes in — and that's
what we're doing."
Unlike
cases involving everyday people, pressure from the media and
high-powered attorneys create added problems for investigators, and many
of the recent allegations date back years, sometimes passing the
statute of limitations.
Los
Angeles police say they have 27 open investigations into entertainment
figures, including actor Ed Westwick and agent Tyler Grasham, in
addition to Weinstein. The LAPD has also taken more than 30 other
reports of sexual misconduct that occurred in other parts of the U.S.
and overseas and referred those cases to other law enforcement agencies.
Separately,
Beverly Hills police say its department alone is investigating a dozen
allegations of sexual assault involving figures in the entertainment
industry.
London police say they are investigating sexual assault allegations from nine people.
In
New York, detectives have received more than a dozen complaints from
people who reported being abused by entertainment industry figures
around the country, and they say most of those cases involve Weinstein.
At least 75 have made allegations in the media against him that range
from rape to inappropriate comments, but not all of the women have gone
to police.
Police
have not said exactly how many active cases they have except for one,
an allegation by actress Paz de la Huerta that Weinstein raped her in
her New York City apartment in 2010. Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce
has said the agency had a credible case against Weinstein and was
gathering evidence to refer to the Manhattan district attorney's office
for possible charges.
The
methods by which the claims are investigated remain the same whether
someone is famous or not — detectives are seeking business records,
phone records, putting together timelines and tracking the movements of
both people. Each case has to be separately investigated in each local
jurisdiction and built from the ground up.
But
the older the allegation, the more difficult the investigation. And
unlike cases involving everyday people, pressure from the media, leaks,
and high-powered attorneys create added problems for investigators.
Plus,
police may believe they have enough evidence to arrest someone, but
it's up to the local district attorney offices to decide whether to
prosecute.
In
New York, Manhattan prosecutors haven't yet decided whether to proceed
with de la Huerta's claims after she called the hotline on October 25 to
report the assaults. The delay has prompted the actress's attorney to
publicly put the pressure on.
"We
threw down the gauntlet on behalf of our client," attorney Carrie
Goldberg said in a statement, "and urged DA NY to convene a grand jury
by the end of next week (the week of Dec. 3) or expect the protests to
begin."
Weinstein's
lawyers have said he denies any nonconsensual contact. He has not been
arrested and his whereabouts are unknown, though his company was
headquartered in New York.
Los
Angeles police detectives have already closed some of the
investigations related to entertainment figures that were launched in
recent weeks, including a case involving actor Corey Feldman, who said
he was sexually abused as a child actor in the 1990s. Investigators said
the case was closed after detectives determined the statute of
limitations had expired.
The
open criminal investigations in Los Angeles include an allegation by an
Italian actress and model who said she was raped by Weinstein in 2013
and allegations that Weinstein committed lewd acts in 2015. Los Angeles
Police Chief Charlie Beck has said investigators are working closely
with New York City detectives.
Los
Angeles prosecutors launched a task force this month to evaluate cases
that are referred by police for criminal prosecution. But so far no
cases have been referred to the district attorney's office.
The
alleged offenses occurred between the early 1980s and 2015. All involve
the same alleged attacker, whom the police have not identified, but was
widely reported to be Weinstein. British police usually do not name
suspects until they have been charged.
___
Long
reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London
and Philippe Sotto in Paris contributed to this report.
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