Dear Friends:
In response to widespread allegations of sexual abuse in the entertainment industry, I established a task force of specially trained deputy district attorneys in November 2017 to review and prosecute these cases.
The task force’s work, in collaboration with law enforcement and other prosecutorial agencies, has led to criminal charges being brought against film producers Harvey Weinstein and David Guillod and adult film actor Ron “Jeremy” Hyatt.
My office also filed rape charges last month against actor Daniel Masterson.
Filing any sexual assault charge is difficult. Cases often lack eyewitnesses or corroborating evidence. Victims also may delay reporting for fear that they will not be believed, especially when their allegations involve a celebrity or other powerful person. This delay can inadvertently cause the statute of limitations to expire, often a significant barrier to filing these cases.
Despite the obstacles, cases were filed against these four individuals because more than one victim had the strength and courage to come forward and confront her alleged assailant.
Their willingness to share their stories has encouraged others to report alleged crimes. They also are helping us keep others safe by removing violent predators from our community.
In the days after Hyatt was charged with sexually assaulting four women, three in the same West Hollywood bar over a three-year period, 30 other women came forward with new allegations that he had sexually assaulted them too.
I am proud of the hard work being performed by the deputy district attorneys assigned to my Entertainment Industry Sex Crimes Task Force. They represent my office’s dedication to protecting the public and safeguarding the rights of victims.
 Jackie Lacey
Los Angeles County District Attorney
 When the coronavirus closed schools in March, Project LEAD, the office’s law-related education program, went on hiatus. The office’s 300 facilitators remain committed to helping children and send their best wishes to the 3,500 fifth-graders they met last school year. Click here to watch our tribute to the Class of 2020.
 The District Attorney’s Office was the first Los Angeles County department to mandate implicit bias training for its staff. District Attorney Jackie Lacey said the goal is to maintain an ongoing conversation about unconscious bias and its impact on the criminal justice system.
In Case You Missed It
 District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced in February that her office was seeking the dismissals of 66,000 cannabis convictions in Los Angeles County. The effort was designed to bring “much-needed relief to communities of color that disproportionately suffered the unjust consequences of our nation’s drug laws,” District Attorney Lacey said at the time. To learn more, click here.
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