Adult film star Ron Jeremy has been indicted on more than 30 sexual assault counts involving 21 alleged victims over the last two decades, according to legal documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Jeremy pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of forcible rape, seven counts of forcible oral copulation, six counts of sexual battery by restraint, four counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious or asleep person and one count each of lewd act upon a child under the age of 14 or 15, sodomy by use of force and assault with intent to commit rape, The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office announced in a press release Wednesday.
His attorney, Stuart Goldfarb, said Jeremy is “innocent on all charges” in a statement to USA TODAY.
“Far too often, survivors of sexual assault suffer in isolation,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in the release. “We must ensure that survivors have all options available to help with recovery, including trauma-informed services for healing and support to report such crimes.”
More:Ron Jeremy pleads not guilty to new rape, sexual assault charges involving 6 women
The indictment, which was returned Aug. 19 and unsealed Wednesday, covers allegations dating from 1996 to 2020 with victims aged 15 to 51. The counts appear to be identical to charges filed against Jeremy last year, which he also denied.
In a tactical move also employed in their case against Harvey Weinstein, LA County prosecutors used secret grand jury proceedings to get an indictment that replaces the original charges, allowing them to skip a public preliminary hearing on the evidence and proceed to trial.
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Alleged victims include a 19-year-old woman who was raped during a photo shoot in the San Fernando Valley; a 26-year-old woman who was raped at a party in a nightclub; a 38-year-old who was sexually assaulted at a West Hollywood bar where Jeremy was a regular; a woman who was sexually assaulted at Jeremy’s home and a woman who was assaulted at a strip club.
The most recent incident allegedly occurred on Jan. 1, 2020, when Jeremy was accused of sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman outside a business in Hollywood.
Nicknamed “The Hedgehog,” Jeremy has been among the best-known and most prolific performers in the adult film industry since the 1970s.
Jeremy, whose legal name is Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, was investigated and charged by a district attorney’s task force formed to take on sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry as the #MeToo era gained momentum in late 2017.
If convicted of all charges, Jeremy could face a sentence of more than 330 years to life in state prison.
Ron Jeremy:Adult film star faces additional sex-crime charges involving 13 more women
Contributing: The Associated Press
Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/08/25/ron-jeremy-adult-film-star-indicted-34-sexual-assault-counts/5593309001/
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