Weinstein faces sex charges in prosecution amid #MeToo

Flinching when he heard himself described as a man who used power to prey on women, Harvey Weinstein was arraigned Friday on charges of rape and a criminal sex act in the first criminal prosecution to result from the wave of allegations against him that sparked a national reckoning over sexual misconduct.

Seven months after the allegations destroyed his career and catalyzed the #MeToo movement, the once-powerhouse movie producer turned himself in to face the charges, which stem from encounters with two of the dozens who have accused him of sexual misdeeds ranging from harassment to assault.

“This defendant used his position, money and power to lure young women into situations where he was able to violate them sexually,” Manhattan Assistant Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said in court. Weinstein, who had been staring grimly ahead, grimaced and raised his eyebrows as he heard her words.