Infamous porn star Ron Jeremy was indicted by a grand jury last week on more than 30 counts of sexual assault involving 21 women and girls. The 68-year-old porn star’s victims range in age from 15 to 51 with filed complaints spanning nearly two decades.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney said the charges cover the period between 1996 and 2019 as his indictment comes nearly a year after he was charged.
According to CNN, the film star pleaded not guilty to all charges including 12 counts of rape, 7 counts of forcible oral copulation, 6 counts of sexual battery by restraint, 4 counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, 2 counts of sexual penetration of an unconcsious person, and one count each of lewd acts on a child under the age of 15. He also pleaded not guilty to charges of sodomy by use of force and assault with intent to commit rape.
The indictments highlight allegations involving a 19-year-old girl who was raped by Jeremy in 1996 during a photoshoot, another that took place in 2003 that of a 26-year-old woman at a nightclub, 17-year-old girl in 2008 who was raped at a home and sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl in 2004.
In a statement from Jeremy’s lawyer, Stuart Goldfarb, he said his client’s position is the same as when the original criminal complaint was filed. He maintains that his client is innocent of all charges.
LA County prosecutors employed a tactical move similar to the case of Harvey Weinstein. Prosecutors used secret grand jury proceedings to get indictments aimed to replace original charges. This allowed them to skip a public preliminary hearing where witnesses are required to testify in court. "Far too often, survivors of sexual assault suffer in isolation," said Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.
"We must ensure that survivors have all options available to help with recovery, including trauma-informed services for healing and support to report such crimes."
Jeremy has been an iconic figure best known for his prolific performances in the adult film industry during the 1970s. The faded star became a subject of a documentary released in 2001 titled: “Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy.” He has appeared in hundreds of porn movies but has also made regular appearances in mainstream films and reality TV shows.
