The New York City Police Department is prepared to arrest film producer Harvey Weinstein for felony sexual assault.
The Daily Beast reports a police official said the NYPD “is ready to go” with booking the disgraced movie mogul and they’re just waiting on approval from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told the media they are still gathering evidence, but it is “going very, very well.” He directed questions toward Vance.A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office declined to comment.
The Police Department launched an investigation in last October that exposed his history of abuse, assault, and rape.
Police sources told the Daily Beast the NYPD has been investigating five sexual assault accusations against Weinstein including one from Lucia Evans, who spoke out against the producer in Rowan Farrow’s exposé for The New Yorker. She alleged that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in his office in 2004.
Another case is from actress Paz de la Huerta, who told her story to Vanity Fair last year. She alleged that Weinstein raped her twice — once in 2006, and again in 2010.
The other three cases are “still developing,” reports The Daily Beast.
Weinstein is also being investigated by police in Los Angeles and London. The Los Angeles District Attorney is also examining five cases of sexual assault by the mogul for potential charges.
More than 80 women have accused the movie magnate of sexual misconduct from harassment to rape, including Rose McGowan, Ashley Judd, Uma Thurman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie.
Salma Hayek claims that Weinstein terrorised her, and threatened to have her killed when she rebuffed his advances.
Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual acts.
