A civil trial ended Tuesday with a jury concluding that Bill Cosby sexually abused a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. The victim, now 64-year-old Judy Huth, was awarded $500,000 as a result of the verdict.
The jury believed the disgraced comedian was aware Huth was underage and intentionally caused sexual contact with the victim as a result. Jurors viewed a 2015 deposition where Cosby denied the accusation as 84-year-old was absent from the trial. Cosby continues to deny the allegation.
During the trial, it was confirmed by Cosby's attorneys that the actor met Huth and her friend (a key witness) on a film set before inviting them to the Playboy Mansion a few days later. In Huth's testimony, she claimed that after her, Cosby, and friend Donna Samuelson took photos around the mansion, Cosby attempted to put his hands down her pants before exposing himself and forcing her to perform a sex act.
Huth claims she decided to come forward in 2014 after a wave of alleged victims spoke out and her son grew close to the same age as her when the assault occurred. Cosby's lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, called out Huth and Samuelson over inconsistencies in their testimony. For example, the women claimed in previous depositions and interviews that Samuelson played Donkey Kong the day the assault took place. However, that video game was not released until six years after the incident.
Despite the defense's arguments, the jury of nine women and three men sided with Huth. The jurors reached their conclusion on Friday, after two days of deliberations, but were forced to deliberate again on Monday when the jury foreperson had to address a personal matter.
Almost exactly one year ago, Cosby was released from prison after his sexual assault conviction in Pennsylvania was overturned. The sexual assault case from Huth was one of the final remaining lawsuits after many others were settled by Cosby's insurer.
Source: Associated Press
