Pornstar Ron Jeremy suffers from “severe dementia” and will be declared unfit to stand trial for rape, a US newspaper reported on Friday.
Jeremy, who has appeared in more than 1,700 adult films since the 1970s, underwent psychiatric testing before being tried on various charges of sexual assault against 21 women and girls.
The Los Angeles Times cited a leaked email in which mental health experts from both the prosecution and defense concluded that Jeremy he is mentally disabled and has little chance of recovery.
“As a result of the expert agreement, the defendant will be deemed incapable of standing trial…his prognosis for improvement is not good,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Paul Thompson wrote in the email. , according to the newspaper.
“If he doesn’t improve, we won’t be able to try him for his crimes. Since criminal cases are suspended if he is incompetent, we also can’t get him to plead guilty or discuss other steps to bring justice for the victims in this case.”
Jeremy was initially indicted in January 2020, and the prosecutor’s office added another set of lawsuits against him for crimes allegedly committed over several decades of his career.
The debt collector denied the charges against him.
Judge George Lomeli ordered a psychiatric evaluation after one of his attorneys, Stuart Goldfarb, said they visited him in a cell before a hearing and that Jeremy had been unable to recognize him.
A plea of mental incompetence is not final, and if a defendant’s mental health improves with treatment, they could go to trial later.
however, the Dementia is a progressive and usually degenerative disease.
Jeremy, 69, whose real name is Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, has appeared in popular adult films such as ‘Deep Throat II’ and ‘John Wayne Bobbitt Uncut’.
With his distinctive mustache, he was one of the most recognizable stars in the porn industry, even though he had been banned in recent years due to allegations of abuse.
In June 2020, Goldfarb denied all allegations, insisting his client “wasn’t a rapist.”
“Ron, over the years, for what it is, it’s pretty much been the lover of more than 4,000 women. And to claim that he is a rapist is to go further… I mean, women jump on him,” the lawyer said.
A sentence of 330 years in prison
Jeremy could thus avoid trial in which, if convicted, he could face a symbolic sentence of 330 years in prison.
This is because the Prosecutor’s Office has collected more than 30 alleged crimes, some against minors, for which, in the event of a conviction, the prison sentence would exceed three centuries. The actor, nicknamed “The Hedgehog” was one of the biggest stars in the porn industry.
The alleged offenses include the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl while she was sleeping or unconscious and another assault of a girl who, when allegedly committed, was 17 years old.
The ages of the women who sued the actor ranged from 15 to 45 for events ranging from 1996 to early 2020.
The defendant faces 11 crimes of rape, eight for sexual assault, six for forced oral copulation and a list of practices carried out with violence both in public and private places.
Source: AFP
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.