Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Danny Masterson
Recently, Danny Masterson was let go from the Netflix series "The Ranch" due to early 2000s sexual misconduct accusations. (Niraj). The early 2018 screenplays that featured Masterson were rejected. Masterson is still being accused by four separate women. Since the authorities had not yet submitted that case, the police department had halted its investigation. One accuser claims that Masterson sexually assaulted her anally. (Niraj). Another instance involves a woman who claims that Masterson assaulted her while she was unconscious and then smothered her until she blacked out once more.
Masterson's Response and Allegations against the Church of Scientology
Masterson responded by denying the accusations and asserting his innocence pending further investigation. He observed that the law enforcement probed the matter more than fifteen years ago and found no sufficient evidence to charge him with a crime (Moniuszko). He argues that his records are clean as he did not have any criminal charges and was also never convicted of any crime. Three of the alleged victims also claimed that they were pressured to stop with their accusations by the Church of Scientology, which they belong together with Masterson (Moniuszko). However, the Church has come out publicly to deny the allegations and that the cases against Masterson have nothing to do with their religion and that the story is manipulated to push for an extreme behavior.
Impact of Other Sexual Misconduct Cases
Accusations logged against Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Kevin Spacey have resulted in many women coming out describing their sexual harassment incidents. Women in the mainstream media had long been quiet about the sexual harassment and rape cases they experience. They claim it is for fear of being ostracized by society. But the nation right now is very sympathetic towards women in sexual harassment cases. Sometimes even large institutions such as production houses and religious organizations fire the male employees with mere allegations without gathering sufficient evidence that the crime occurred. Women also sometimes come up with ways to frame their male counterparts by claiming rape incidences when they were actually in a sexual relationship or married; these cases are usually difficult to prove in court. Consequently, males have become victims of witch hunt and revenge.
The Defense of Consent
The above opinion resonates with the defense of consent (Brett A. Podolsky). The defendant did not commit a crime as he was actually in a relationship with the women that are alleging that he assaulted them sexually. For instance, in the case where the woman claims that he was unconscious, the defendant may argue the lady preferred the type of sexual activities that involved choking and other things. Therefore, the defendant might argue that there was no crime as the victim consented to the harm (Brett A. Podolsky). The defendant may also use the statute of limitations to argue the case out (Brett A. Podolsky). The prosecution is yet to bring charges on the accusations against Masterson, for now, more than fifteen years. The catalysts to the lawsuit are the numerous lawsuits and allegations against actors and directors happening in Hollywood.
Works Cited
Brett A. Podolsky. Types of Defenses To Criminal Charges. 8 May 2015. 9 December 2017. .
Moniuszko, Sara M. "Danny Masterson Fired From Netflix's 'The Ranch' Amid Multiple Sexual Assault Allegations." USA Today 5 December 2017. 9 December 2017. .
Niraj, Chokshi. "Netflix Fires Danny Masterson Amid Rape Allegations." New York Times 5 December 2017. 9 December 2017. .
