Daniel Peterson Masterson, an American actor has been sentenced to 30 years life in prison for raping two women more than 20 years ago at his Hollywood Hills home.
He was sentenced by the Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Charlaine Olmedo who presided over the ruling on Thursday, September 7, 2023. However, Masterson did not show any visible emotion after the Judge’s ruling.
Masterson 47, who played Steven Hyde in a movie entitled That ’70s Show, Milo Foster in Men at work and Jameson Bennett in The Ranch was convicted in May 2023, for rapping two women who were members of the Church of Scientology.
“Mr. Masterson, I know that you’re sitting here steadfast in your claims of innocence, and thus no doubt feeling victimized by a justice system that has failed you, but Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here,” Olmedo said.
Preliminary information indicates that, Masterson’s wife, Bijou Phillips who is a model and actress constantly attended her husband’s trials but quickly wore sunglasses after Olmedo announced the judgment, and she left the courtroom without uttering a single word.
Masterson never took the stand or made any statements at any of his trials but always used his lawyers to deny sexually abusing the three women.
The victims said that, when Masterson raped them, he stole their life, an action they condemned him for, adding that, the world is a better place without people like him.
In a post-judgment statement, the District Attorney, George Gascón said that, he applauded the women for coming out in the open and participating in the process.
Gascón added that, he hopes the judgment will bring them peace, adding that their bravery would act as an example to other women who go through such nightmares.
The actor was hit with the deeply shocking sentence four months after he was convicted on two out of the three rape counts he faced at his retrial in Los Angeles which he had been charged with for raping three women between 2001 and 2003.
