Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of sexual assault and rape in a New York court and taken off to jail in handcuffs, a victory for the #MeToo movement that inspired women to publicly accuse powerful men of misconduct.
Once one of Hollywood's most influential producers, Weinstein, 67, was on Monday found guilty of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a one-time aspiring actress, in 2013.
Officers helped Weinstein unsteadily to his feet before leading him away. His lawyer said Weinstein, who has used a walker throughout the trial, was ordered to be taken to a medical facility at New York City's Rikers Island jail complex.
A spokesman for Weinstein said later that the one-time movie mogul was diverted instead to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, which has a unit that provides medical care for jail inmates.
The spokesman, Juda Engelmayer, told Reuters he did not know why Weinstein went to Bellevue or how long he would be there. But a number of news outlets, including Variety, reported that he had complained of chest pains.
Either destination would be a sharp contrast to the posh Four Seasons hotel where the producer of such acclaimed films as The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love started his day.
After the verdict Arthur Aidala, Weinstein's lawyer, quoted his client as saying, "I'm innocent. I'm innocent. How can this happen in America?"
His sentencing hearing was set for March 11. The attorney vowed to appeal.
Weinstein never testified in his defence. He told reporters during the trial that he had wanted to speak but his lawyers said it was unnecessary because the case against him was weak.
Actress Rose McGowan, who had accused Weinstein of rape, wrote on Twitter: "Today is a powerful day & a huge step forward in our collective healing."
A statement for the #MeToo movement said: "The jury worked with an incredibly narrow and unjust set of laws governing sexual assault, and though he was not convicted on all counts, Harvey Weinstein will have to answer for his crimes."
Weinstein faces up to 25 years in prison on the sexual assault conviction. He was also convicted of third degree rape - sexual intercourse without consent - which carries a prison sentence of up to four years.
The jury of seven men and five women acquitted Weinstein on the most serious charges, which carried a potential life sentence.
A long legal battle in the appeals courts is likely to ensue. At the start of the trial, defence lawyers accused the judge of bias, the prosecutors of withholding evidence, and the media of turning the trial into a circus.
Weinstein still faces sexual assault charges in California, which were announced just hours after his New York trial began on January 6. Dozens of women have also filed civil lawsuits against him.
More than 80 women, including famous actresses, accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct stretching back decades. He denied the accusations and said any sexual encounters were consensual.
The jury acquitted Weinstein on two counts of predatory sexual assault and first degree rape - forcible sexual intercourse - of Mann.
A conviction on predatory sexual assault would have required the jury to find Weinstein committed an alleged assault against actress Annabella Sciorra and at least one of the alleged crimes against Haleyi or Mann.
Sciorra, best known from the television show The Sopranos, testified Weinstein forced his way into her home one night, raped her and forced oral sex on her. The accusation, from the early 1990s, was too old to be charged as a separate crime.
Australian Associated Press
