New York, May 24 (EFE).- Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein later this week will turn himself in to authorities to face sexual assault charges, local media reported Thursday.
According to the Daily News, Weinstein will surrender on Friday in connection with the case opened against him by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
At least one other investigation has been launched against Weinstein in Los Angeles, and on Wednesday reports emerged that federal prosecutors have begun their own investigations.
According to the Daily News, which broke the story, sources familiar with the matter said that Weinstein will face charges for a 2004 attack on student actress Lucia Evans, who told investigators that the producer forced her to perform oral sex on him.
In addition to that case, Weinstein has also been accused of sexual abuse in New York by actress Paz de la Huerta, although more than 70 women – including well-known actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd and Angelina Jolie – have said that he raped, sexually abused or harassed them in some way.
Weinstein has denied engaging in any improper conduct.
The complaints against Weinstein, which last October appeared in The New Yorker magazine and The New York Times, unleashed a wave of criticism that developed into the #MeToo movement and spread internationally.
The case sparked dozens of complaints against other influential figures in the film and communications industries, as well as politics and other areas, with – for instance – New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigning on May 7 amid similar accusations.