Russell Brand Sentenced to 10.5 Years in Prison for Rape and Sexual Assault

British comedian Russell Brand was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison on Monday after a London court found him guilty of rape and sexual assault.

The 51-year-old was convicted of seven sexual offenses involving six women who brought anonymous complaints covering the period from 1999 to 2009, according to NOS. The verdict includes one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

Chief Superintendent Andy Furphy said that Brand used his influence, status, and fame to exploit and abuse women, adding that a sense of superiority grew alongside his public profile. Evidence presented in court detailed assaults across multiple locations, including a London bar in 2004, a radio studio, and an incident in 2009 involving physical force after consensual sexual activity.

Public warnings and allegations surrounding Brand’s behavior surfaced well before the verdict. British model Kelly Brook previously warned young women that Brand was a sexual predator and said that he targeted her friends, De Telegraaf reported.

“He told proudly how he lied to and manipulated a girl until she kissed him and ‘reluctantly took off her bra,'” AD.nl reported.

De Limburger said that Brand once wore a protest shirt opposing page-three topless models in The Sun while having already committed rape and multiple sexual assaults.

Additional legal exposure remains active. Two further women have accused Brand of rape in an ongoing investigation, and a civil lawsuit in the United States alleges he forced an extra to engage in sexual activity during the filming of the movie Arthur, according to NOS.

Brand built a prominent career appearing in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall in 2008 and Get Him to the Greek in 2010, alongside voice work in Despicable Me and extensive radio and television broadcasting work in the United Kingdom. He also gained international visibility through his marriage to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012, as documented by nos.nl.

The presiding judge delivered the sentence in a London courtroom following last week’s guilty verdict, placing the comedian in custody to begin his prison term.

Earlier coverage: Russell Brand Sentenced to 10 Years and 6 Months in Prison for Rape and Sexual Assault