Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial set to start near Philadelphia

The US entertainer is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting former basketball player Andrea Constand in early 2004, when she was 31.

Constand knew Cosby because she helped to run the basketball team at Temple University in Philadelphia, and Cosby sat on the college’s board.

The pair met in 2001 and he often gave her career advice.

Constand, who is Canadian, claimed the alleged incident happened when she went to Cosby’s mansion in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

She said the comedian and star of TV’s The Cosby Show gave her wine and what he called ‘herbal’ pills to relieve stress.

After 30 minutes she said she was left unable to move or speak, which is when Cosby allegedly sexually assaulted her.

She said that before this incident she had refused two other “embarrassing sexual advances” from Cosby.

Nearly 60 other women have made similar allegations against the actor, and some of them are pursuing civil cases against him.

But nearly all of those alleged incidents happened too long ago to be prosecuted in the criminal courts.

Constand’s case is the only one that has made it to trial, and even that took over a decade.

It was approximately 12 months before Constand reported the alleged assault, and the first criminal case fell apart as a result of several complications, including insufficient evidence.

Constand and Cosby eventually reached a civil settlement in 2006 after she came forward again with the supporting statements of 13 other women who also accused Cosby of similar sexual assaults.

In the ensuing years more women told their stories and in 2015 Constand tried again, successfully filing a motion to unseal the civil suit deposition in which Cosby admitted to drugging and having sexual contact with Constand and other women but that it was consensual.

In 2015, the Montgomery County District Attorney decided to reopen the criminal investigation and in 2016 a judge ruled it could proceed to trial.

However, Constand’s lawyers will be prevented from referring to much of the civil case.

They are also prohibited from using all but one of the nearly 60 other women as supporting witnesses in court.

Cosby has said his celebrity status means he won’t be treated fairly by the justice system.

He has also suggested the case against him is motivated by racism and politics.

His trial is being held at the Montgomery County court house in Morristown, outside Philadelphia, and is expected to last around two weeks.

He denies all three counts of aggravated indecent sexual assault, but if convicted faces up to 30 years in prison.