BY LEE PFEIFFER
Legendary comedian and actor Bill Cosby has been formally charged with sexually assaulting a woman who said she considered him a friend and mentor. The incident is said to have occurred in 2004. Pennsylvania prosecutors cite new evidence that was unveiled in relation to the case, which was first reported by the alleged victim in 2005. At the time, prosecutors chose not to file charges. Cosby has been accused of sexual assault over the decades by many women whose stories are quite similar. They state that Cosby lured them into a trusting relationship, then used drugs to immobilize them. He then allegedly sexually assaulted them. Cosby has denied committing any illegal acts and has brought a lawsuit against on of the women, model and actress Beverly Johnson, claiming that she have slandered his reputation. He has admitted in a 2005 deposition that he had obtained prescriptions for Quaaludes and would give the pills to women with the expectation of having sex with them. However he never clarified whether the women knew that was his intent and if the sex was consensual following their ingesting of the pills. Allegations of sexual abuse have dogged Cosby since the 1960s when he burst onto the scene as one of America's brightest young stand-up comics. In 1965 he co-starred with Robert Culp in the TV series "I Spy" which earned him Emmy awards and respect for breaking down racial barriers as the first African American actor to star in a dramatic TV series. In the ensuing decades Cosby has become an iconic presence in American pop culture. His 1980s sitcom series became a smash hit and ran for many years, defining the epitome of "Must See TV". Some of Cosby's alleged victims have claimed that his iconic status and powerful connections discouraged law enforcement officials from aggressively pursuing their claims. Ironically, the statute of limitations in Pennsylvania for the crime Cosby is charged with would have expired in 2016. Cosby was arraigned in court today. For more click here.