Danny Masterson: DA's Office Declined to File 2 Additional Sexual Assault Charges

While many fans were surprised to hear that Danny Masterson had been arrested and charged with "forcibly raping three women," the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office revealed that he narrowly avoided two additional charges. The D.A. Jackie Lacey announced that Masterson would be arrested on Wednesday, listing three allegations of sexual assault against him. There were two other accusations against Masterson that Lacey decided not to pursue.

According to Lacey's office, one of the additional cases against Masterson had to be dropped due to "insufficient evidence." The other was reportedly outside of the statute of limitations, and therefore could not be used as the basis for a criminal charge. However, the office's announcement noted that "the case remains under investigation," directing anyone with knowledge of the allegations against Masterson to contact the LAPD's robbery-homicide division.

Masterson has been publicly accused of sexual assault for years now, but none of these claims have resulted in a criminal charge until Wednesday. The D.A.'s office listed three allegations of sexual assault against Masterson: one in 2001, when he allegedly attacked a 23-year-old woman; one in April of 2003, when he is accused of raping a 28-year-old woman; and then one in the fourth quarter of 2003 when he is charged with assaulting a 23-year-old woman at his home in the Hollywood Hills.

Police arrested Masterson on Wednesday after the charges were filed. The actor is due for arraignment on Sept. 18, 2020. If convicted as charged, Masterson could reportedly face a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in a California state prison.

By now, the allegations against Masterson are well-known to most fans. The actor was a prominent figure during the Me Too movement in 2017 when several women came forward with accusations against him. These accusations ultimately led Netflix to sever ties with the actor, firing him from the sitcom The Ranch. His character was written off for the remainder of the show.

Masterson has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. His accusers have claimed that The Church of Scientology has taken great pains to defend Masterson and to protect him from these allegations. Masterson and the church are currently facing a lawsuit filed by four of his accusers, saying that they have been stalked, surveilled and had their property damaged. Again, Masterson denies these allegations as well. The actor's bail is set at $3.3 million, and it is unclear whether he intends to pay it and get out.