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US actor Danny Masterson was sentenced on Thursday to 30 years in prison for raping two women in the early 2000s.
Masterson, who did not testify in either trial, did not to speak during the hearing. He has denied assaulting the three women, who are all former members of the Church of Scientology. Masterson remains a member of the church.
Although Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo allowed the women to testify that church officials pressured them to not speak to the police after they were raped, Olmedo stressed the church was not a defendant in the case.
"Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person's choice and voice. Your actions 20 years ago today were criminal, and that's why you are here," Olmedo said in court.
"You were not convicted on the testimony of one person," the judge continued."You were not convicted based on rumors, innuendo, gossip and speculation."
"You were convicted based on evidence that 12 people in the community found to be credible. …You were convicted because each of the victims reported the rapes to someone shortly after the rapes occurred," the judge added.
The judge denied the defense’s request that the 47-year-old's sentence be served concurrently rather than consecutively, so he’d only spend 15 years behind bars.
Before Olmedo handed down the sentence, two of the victims read emotional impact statements before the court.
"You relish in hurting women. It is your addiction. It is without question your favorite thing to do," said one of the women. "Life is precious and fragile. Find your heart."
"Listen to the brightness of nothing and get well. I forgive you," she continued.
Masterson was sentenced to the maximum amount allowed by law, meaning he will be eligible for parole after serving 25 and a half years, but could still be held in prison for life. The actor’s wife, Bijou Phillips, reportedly cried in court at the beginning of the hearing. The couple share one child.