Film producer Harvey Weinstein
(Photo : Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
Film producer Harvey Weinstein is handcuffed after his guilty verdict in his sexual assault trial at the New York Criminal Court in New York City, New York, U.S., February 24, 2020 in this courtroom sketch.

Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein was pronounced guilty of sexual assault and rape in a New York court on Monday.

He was acquitted of the most serious charges, capping one of the most closely watched trials of the #MeToo movement era. #MeToo movement inspired women to publicly accuse powerful men of misconduct.

Weinstein, 67, was convicted of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi at his apartment in July 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a one-time aspiring actress, at a hotel in 2013.

He was found guilty of sex crimes including rape by a jury in New York, in a verdict that activists declared a victory for women's rights.

Weinstein was accompanied out of a courtroom in handcuffs on Monday and taken into custody after the verdict was announced. He will face up to 25 years in prison upon being sentenced on March 11.

The sexual assault was the first conviction to emerge from the dozens of misconduct allegations against the former movie producer.

The most severe charges, which he was acquitted from, was of predatory sexual assault, which would have acknowledged a pattern that included forcing sex on actress Annabella Sciorra in 1993 or 1994.

Weinstein was convicted of a first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape.

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At least 80 women had accused him of sexual misconduct extending back decades, including actresses Uma Thurman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Salma Hayek.

Had he been acquitted on the most serious charges, the once-powerful Hollywood producer could have been sent to prison for the rest of his life. These charges include two counts of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape.

The former Hollywood mogul once enjoyed remarkable success with Oscar winners such as Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, The King's Speech and Shakespeare in Love. The 67-year-old was taken to New York's Bellevue Hospital suffering from chest pains after the verdict was announced.

According to Weinstein's lawyer, he was expected to be taken to a medical facility at New York City's Rikers Island jail complex.

A spokesman said he was to be diverted instead to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, which has a unit that provides medical care for jail inmates.

The case was a milestone for the #MeToo movement and other survivors of sexual assault, with women and others calling the conviction a landmark verdict online.

Weinstein often appeared unwell and entered the courthouse using a walker, sometimes leaning on his lead lawyer, Donna Rotunno, for support.

He was declared to be moved to the Riker's Island prison.

The jury of seven men and five women reached their verdict on the fifth day of deliberations on Monday.

Spokesman Juda Engelmayer said he did not know the reason behind Weinstein going to Bellevue or how long he would be there.

Weinstein's lawyer Arthur Aidala quoted his client saying, "I'm innocent. I'm innocent. How can this happen in America?"

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