Following a verdict reached earlier this year, That ’70s Show star Danny Masterson has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the rape of two women.
Masterson was sentenced on Thursday following a guilty verdict in May
Masterson, who is best known for his roles on That ’70s Show and Netflix’s The Ranch, was handed down the sentence on Thursday. The actor was convicted and found guilty on two of three forcible rape charges earlier this year. Initially accused of raping three women at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003, Masterson continues to maintain his innocence.
The actor’s convictions come from two rapes that were said to take place in 2003, with a verdict unable to be reached for the 2001 incident. Masterson was arrested in 2020 for the alleged assaults and initially faced up to 45 years in prison if he was found guilty on all three counts.
“Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice and choice. Your actions 20 years ago were criminal, and that is why you are here,” Judge Charlaine Olmedo said (via Variety) during Masterson’s sentencing.
This is the second trial of Masterson’s rape charges, with the first ending in a hung jury in November 2022. Following that case, the judge decided to re-try the case in front of a new jury, with the second trial focusing more on the accusations that Masterson had drugged the women.