Danny Masterson Could Face 45 Years to Life in Prison Over Rape Charges

Following charges of forcibly raping three women between 2001 and 2003, actor Danny Masterson could be facing 45 years to life in prison. The charges were brought against The Ranch star on Wednesday by Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and details three instances of rape, all of which took place in the actor's home, according to court documents.

According to the documents, Masterson is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman between January and December of 2001. In April 2003, he allegedly raped a 28-year-old woman sometime between October and December. He's also accused of raping another 23-year-old woman that same year — all of which are said to have taken place at his home. Should he be found guilty, he could be facing a maximum sentence of 45 years to life.

In addition to the three counts of rape, the court also noted that the D.A.'s Office declined to file sexual assault charges in two additional cases. One was due to a lack of sufficient evidence, while the other had to do with the statute of limitations on the alleged crime. These charges also come after numerous allegations have been made over the years been against Masterson, which resulted in being written off The Ranch and dropped by his talent agency. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 18 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles.

In August of 2019, four of Masterson's accusers filed a lawsuit against both him and the Church of Scientology, which he is a member. In the lawsuit, all four women each cited multiple incidents of being followed, having their homes watched all hours of the night and damage to their property. The suit also alleges that these actions were done in retaliation after each of them had gone public with accusations of rape against the actor.

In response to the lawsuit, Masterson asked a judge to throw the case out based on a lack of specifics and even went so far as to call it a "shameful money grab" by a group of ex-girlfriends. Masterson also wanted the judge to force the anonymous accusers to disclose their names publicly and publicly state, explicitly, what the actor did wrong.

The Church of Scientology also argued that the women who'd filed the suit all agreed to ecclesiastical justice procedures when they first made their commitment to the church and called for a ruling of "religious arbitration." Which they argued meant they couldn't make such claims, regardless of their current affiliation