On June 16, actor Daniel Masterson was charged by the L.A. County District Attorney's office with forcibly raping three women.Los Angeles police began
investigating Masterson over sexual-assault claims in 2017. Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller, who is prosecuting the case, said all of the alleged crimes occurred at the defendant’s home. Masterson is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman between January and December 2001. He is also alleged to have raped a 28-year-old woman in April 2003. And, between October and December of 2003, according to authorities, the actor is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman. It's also noted that the District Attorney’s Office declined to file sexual assault charges against Masterson in two other cases. One for insufficient evidence and the other based upon the statute of limitations for the alleged crime. According to
reports, Masterson was booked into Los Angeles County Jail on Wednesday and released on bond at about 2:45 p.m. local time. Bail was set at $3.3 million.Masterson’s attorney, Tom Mesereau, says in a statement to
NBC News that the actor is innocent and he will be exonerated when “all the evidence comes to light."[video_embed id='5690592073001']2017 Report: Fifth Woman Accuses Danny Masterson of Rape[/video_embed]“Obviously, Mr. Masterson and his wife are in complete shock considering that these nearly 20-year old allegations are suddenly resulting in charges being filed, but they and their family are comforted knowing that ultimately the truth will come out,” Mesereau said. “The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false.”Master is most known for his role on
That '70s Show, which ran from 1998 to 2006. He later starred alongside his
'70s Show co-star Ashton Kutcher in the Netflix series
The Ranch. Masterson was fired from
The Ranch in 2017, following multiple sexual assault allegations.In a statement at the time, the actor
wrote, “I am obviously very disappointed in Netflix’s decision to write my character off of
The Ranch. From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one.”If convicted as charged, Masterson faces a possible maximum sentence of 45 years to life in state prison. Arraignment is scheduled for September 18.[video_embed id='1977631']BEFORE YOU GO: Meghan Markle, Adele mark Grenfell Tower anniversary.[/video_embed]
