Bill Cosby Denied Parole, Refuses to Partake in Sex Offender Treatment
Bill Cosby is not getting out of prison yet.
The 83-year-old actor, who is serving three to ten years in Pennsylvania state prison after being convicted of sexual assault in 2018, has been denied parole nearly three years into his sentence, USA Today reported.
The request was denied earlier in May, and there is a reason why.
Find out inside…
The Pennsylvania State Parole Board declined the request due to a requirement for the actor to participate in “a treatment program for sex offenders and violence prevention,” as well as his “failure to develop a parole release plan.” The board also noted a “negative recommendation” from the Department of Corrections.
Andrew Wyatt, Bill Cosby‘s rep, told the news outlet that the decision was “not a surprise” because the board explicitly said he would be denied parole “if he did not participate in SVP (Sexually Violent Predator) courses.”
“Mr. Cosby has vehemently proclaimed his innocence and continues to deny all allegations made against him, as being false, without the sheer evidence of any proof. Mr. Cosby continues to remain hopeful that the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court will issue an opinion to vacate his conviction or warrant him a new trial,” he said in a statement.
Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and raping Andrea Constand, a former professional basketball player, in 2004.
He appealed the conviction, citing alleged “errors” by the judge in his case, but the decision was upheld in December 2019. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court later accepted his appeal in June of 2020. And on December 1, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard arguments at a virtual hearing on whether he was fairly convicted, with a ruling yet to be made.
He will be eligible for parole in September after serving the three-year minimum of his sentence. To be considered, he still needs to complete a treatment program and must maintain a “clear conduct record.”
He also took on an interview from prison a year into his sentence.