US police say pursuing Bill Cosby sex assault accusations

LOS ANGELES, USA – Los Angeles police said Wednesday, July 8 they are pursuing a sex assault probe into Bill Cosby, albeit unrelated to the embattled US comic’s admission in court documents released this week. 

The on-going investigation includes alleged incidents protected by the statute of limitations which restricts how long charges can be brought against Cosby, accused by some 30 women in claims dating back decades. 

“We have an ongoing investigation that’s unrelated to the newest revelations,” said Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) chief Charlie Beck, two days after Cosby’s comments in a 2005 legal deposition surfaced. 

A spokesman noted that LAPD had already been investigating claims made by a string of women last year, when Cosby was engulfed in a firestorm of allegations, although no charges have been brought. 

“We’re going to explore all aspects just to make sure everything is covered… we’re covering all ends, old and new,” spokesman Chris No told Agence France Presse. 

Cosby admitted in documents released Monday, July 6 that in 1976 he had supplied Quaaludes – a strong depressant widely used in the 1960s and 70s – to a woman who later accused him of sexual assault.  

Cosby was the face of The Cosby Show, the family sitcom that was a huge hit in the 1980s and 1990s, making the actor a household name in the US and around the world.  (READ: Bill Cosby says career is ‘far from finished’)

Before that, Cosby was well known as a standup comedian and as one of the few black actors at the time to land lead roles, including in the hit secret-agent TV series I Spy. 

But from one of America’s best-loved celebrities Cosby has gone to one of its most reviled. 

The entertainer was forced to resign from the board of Temple University, his alma mater, last December, as sexual abuse allegations against him mounted. 

He has also canceled several comedy engagements and a Cosby television special that was planned for late last year was scuttled. – Rappler.com

Bill Cosby photo from Shutterstock