Actor Danny Masterson must stand trial on 3 rape charges

LOS ANGELES -- After three days of dramatic and often emotional testimony from three women who said “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson raped them nearly 20 years ago, a judge on Friday found that he must stand trial.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo ordered Masterson to trial on three counts of rape by force or fear, charges that could get him up to 45 years in prison.

She said she found the women's testimony credible for the purposes of the preliminary hearing, where the bar for sufficient evidence is significantly lower than it will be at the forthcoming trial.

That trial will represent the rare prosecution of a Hollywood figure in the #MeToo era despite dozens of investigations by police and the Los Angeles district attorney, most of which have ended without charges.

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