'Sexually Violent Predator' Bill Cosby Sentenced To 3 To 10 Years In Prison

Bill Cosby is headed to prison.

Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill sentenced the disgraced actor and comedian on Tuesday to three to 10 years in state prison for sexually assaulting a woman in 2004, the Associated Press reports.

“It is time for justice. Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you. The time has come,” O’Neill said.

Cosby did not make any statements in response to his sentence, according to the outlet.

Just prior to delivering Cosby’s sentence, O’Neill also accepted the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board’s recommendation that Cosby be classified as a "sexually violent predator," AP reported. Receiving such a classification means that Cosby is legally required to register as a sex offender on a quarterly basis and receive monthly counseling for the rest of his life. Cosby’s community would also be notified of his status as well.

Prosecutors asked on Monday that Cosby be handed the maximum sentence of five to 10 years in prison, while his lawyer argued that such a sentence would be inappropriate for his 81-year-old, legally blind client, CBS News reports. In lieu of prison, defense attorney Joseph Green requested that Cosby be placed under house arrest or serve time in either a detention or rehabilitation center, according to the outlet.

Cosby, once a beloved comedian and star of the family-friendly sitcom “The Cosby Show,” fell from grace in recent years as more than 50 women came forward alleging that Cosby had sexually assaulted them. He was found guilty in April of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand during an encounter at his Philadelphia home in 2004, and convicted of penetration with lack of consent, penetration while unconscious, and penetration after administering an intoxicant.

Constand briefly took the stand during Monday’s hearing, according to Reuters.

“Your honor, I have testified,” she said. “I have given you my victim impact statement. The jury heard me. Mr. Cosby heard me. All I am asking for is justice as the court sees fit.”

[Photo: Bill Cosby arrives for a sentencing hearing in Norristown, PA, on September 25, 2018. By Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images]