Bill Cosby: bail set at $1m during court appearance for sexual assault charges

Bill Cosby, the comedian and entertainer once known as “America’s dad”, appeared in court to face his first criminal charge for sexual misconduct on Wednesday, for an incident in which he allegedly drugged and violated a woman who considered him to be her mentor.


In a hearing lasting less than 10 minutes, Judge Elizabeth McHugh read out the three second-degree felony charges of aggravated indecent assault. He did not appear visibly moved; when asked if he understood the charges, he replied simply: “Yes.”

Bail was set at $1m, of which Cosby will have to pay 10% on Wednesday. Cosby faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge.

Cosby, 78, arrived at the Montgomery County district courthouse wearing a black and white cardigan and walking with a cane. He declined to answer questions. From the courthouse, he was transferred to Cheltenham police station for processing.

Earlier on Wednesday, Pennsylvania prosecutors had issued an arrest warrant for Cosby, 78, over an incident that happened more than a decade ago.

Kevin Steele, Montgomery County’s first assistant district attorney, said the victim was penetrated without her consent while she was impaired. “There is not a question in terms of pills being provided to her, there’s not a question as to what went on, of the digital penetration,” Steele said.

Andrea Constand, who first brought charges against Cosby in 2005, was named as the victim in the affidavit.

She had met Cosby through her work at Temple University in Philadelphia and had “what the victim believed to be a sincere friendship”, according to the affidavit filed on Wednesday.

This was his old picture