Bill Cosby Charged In 2004 Sexual Assault Case

03:42

December 30, 2015

Bill Cosby pauses during a news conference on Nov. 6, 2014. According to documents released on July 6, 2015, Cosby admitted in a 2005 deposition that he obtained Quaaludes with the intent of using them to have sex with young women. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

Bill Cosby was charged today with aggravated indecent assault, for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home back in 2004. Pennsylvania's First Assistant District Attorney Kevin Steele made the announcement this morning.

Here & Now's Robin Young got the latest on the case and the charge from WHYY reporter Bobby Allyn.

"It's being portrayed as sort of an about-face because the same district attorney's office in 2005 examined the evidence and decided not to file any criminal charges, and so this is definitely a shock to a lot of people," Allyn explained, adding that the announcement came "a matter of days" before the statute of limitations on the crime expired.

New evidence that has come out in the past year, including a past deposition of Cosby's, apparently led to this charge. "Some of the things he said under oath were quite damning, and the prosecutors say damning enough to be charged with a felony," Allyn said.

"A prosecutor's job is to follow the evidence wherever it takes us, and sometimes that means whenever it comes to light," DA-elect Steele said today.

Guest

Bobby Allyn, city desk reporter for WHYY. He tweets @BobbyAllyn.

This segment aired on December 30, 2015.