Harvey Weinstein indicted by grand jury in NY rape case

NEW YORK (KABC) -- A grand jury has indicted Harvey Weinstein on rape and other sex charges in New York.

The disgraced movie mogul, who has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment encompassing his decades in the entertainment industry, declined to testify before the New York grand jury.

The indictment was for charges of rape in the first and third degrees, and criminal sexual act in the first degree.

"This indictment brings the defendant another step closer to accountability for the crimes of violence with which he is now charged," said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. "Our office will try this case not in the press, but in the courtroom where it belongs. The defendant's recent assault on the integrity of the survivors and the legal process is predictable. We are confident that when the jury hears the evidence, it will reject these attacks out of hand."

His lawyers said there wasn't enough time to prepare him and "political pressure" made an indictment unavoidable.

They claim they were denied access to information in the case that was necessary to defend him before the grand jury.

"Not having access to these materials is particularly troubling in this case, where one of the unsupported allegations is more than 14 years old and the rape allegation involves a woman with whom Mr. Weinstein shared a 10 year consensual sexual relationship that continued for years after the alleged incident in 2013," Weinstein's attorney, Benjamin Brafman said.

Weinstein, 66, was charged Friday with rape and criminal sex acts involving two women in New York.

Dozens more women have accused him of sexual misconduct.

Weinstein has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex.