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A jury deadlocked on another charge that
Masterson raped a third woman between 2001 and 2003, according
to Greg Risling, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County
District Attorney's office.
Masterson, 47, got his break-out role in the 1998 to 2006
television comedy series "That '70s Show," in which he played a
rebel adolescent.
The actor had pleaded not guilty to the rape charges.
Defense attorney Philip Cohen had urged jurors to acquit his
client. According to City News Service, Cohen questioned the
credibility of the alleged victims and said their stories had
been tweaked over the years.
The case drew attention in part because Masterson met the women
through the Church of Scientology, and two of the accusers said
the organization discouraged them from contacting law
enforcement.
The Church of Scientology has rejected that claim.
"The church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members
from reporting criminal conduct of anyone, Scientologists or
not, to law enforcement," according to a statement cited by City
News Service.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Stephen Coates)
(Photo: Actor Danny Masterson is arraigned on
three rape charges in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003,
at Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles, California, U.S.,
September 18, 2020. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)
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