Weinstein, 67, appeared in a New York state courthouse in Manhattan, where he entered his not guilty plea to two new charges of predatory sexual assault, according to The Associated Press and Reuters.
JUST IN: Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty to new indictment ahead of rape trial pic.twitter.com/ANMfIsyi74
— Reuters U.S. News (@ReutersUS) August 26, 2019
The Guardian reported Monday's indictment was likely to ask a judge to allow for actress Annabella Sciorra to testify as part of Weinstein's trial to establish a pattern of criminal behavior. The actress, best known for her work on "The Sopranos," has accused Weinstein of raping her in 1993.
Prosecutors can't charge Weinstein with the alleged attack on Sciorra because the accusation dates to 13 years before New York eliminated its statute of limitations for rape cases in 2006. But in court papers filed this month, they told the judge the indictment will give them a legal foundation to call the actress as a witness to strengthen the predatory sexual assault charge against Weinstein.
The disgraced movie mogul pleaded not guilty last year to charges of rape and sexual assault. He's accused of raping a woman in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman in 2006, according to CNN.
Weinstein has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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