PITTSBURGH, PA (CelebrityAccess) — Following the declaration of a mistrial earlier this week, embattled comedian Bill Cosby plans to embark on a "town hall" style speaking tour to educate people on how to avoid being accused of sexual assault.
In an interview with Fox affiliate WBRC-TV's Good Day Alabama show, Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said: “Mr. Cosby wants to get back to work, we are now planning town halls…. We’re going to talk to young people because this is bigger than Bill Cosby. This issue can affect any young person, especially young athletes of today. And they need to know what they're facing when they’re hanging out and partying when they’re doing certain things that they should be doing. And it also affects married men.”
Ebonee Benson, another Cosby rep in the interview, added, “Laws are changing. The statute of limitations for victims of sexual assault is being extended. So this is why people need to be educated on [how] a brush against a shoulder, anything at this point can be considered sexual assault, and it’s a good thing to be educated about the laws.”
Wyatt said that the speaking engagements would be free and that Cosby would embark upon the tour as early as July.
While Cosby may be eager to hit the road, he will likely face another trial over the sexual assault allegations brought against him by Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, who claimed that Cosby drugged and raped her while she was in his home. Cosby was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault in the case — penetration with a lack of consent, penetration while unconscious, and penetration after administering an intoxicant without the subject’s knowledge. Each is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in state prison.
According to the New York Times, Cosby narrowly avoided conviction in the case, with the jury deadlocked by two jurors who could not arrive at a guilty verdict.
While Constand's allegations are the only case where Cosby faces criminal charges, he has been accused of similar behavior by dozens of women over the years. Cosby maintains his innocence and has variously suggested that the accusations leveled against him were financially or even racially motivated.
The prosecutor in the case has vowed to retry Cosby. – Staff Writers
