Harvey Weinstein surrenders to authorities on sex assault charges

New York: Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein surrendered to authorities on Friday at a New York City police station on sex crime charges, months after he was toppled from Hollywood's most powerful ranks by scores of women accusing him of misconduct.

More than 70 women have accused the co-founder of the Miramax film studio and Weinstein Co of sexual misconduct, including rape, with some allegations dating back decades.

Harvey Weinstein turning himself in to authorities following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Photo: AP

The accusations, first reported by the New York Times and the New Yorker last year, gave rise to the #MeToo movement in which hundreds of women have publicly accused powerful men in business, government and entertainment of misconduct.

Weinstein arrived at the station house shortly at about 7:25am local time (9.25pm AEST) wearing a dark jacket over a blue sweater and white open-collared shirt and dark denim jeans, carrying what appeared to be three thick books under his right arm.

Police officers escorted him inside as scores of journalists pushed up against barricades for pictures, while three police helicopters circled overhead.

Weinstein is expected to be charged with raping one woman and forcing another to perform oral sex on him, the New York Times reported, citing unidentified law enforcement officials.

Weinstein has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone.

Weinstein's spokesman Juda Engelmayer and his lawyer Benjamin Brafman both declined to comment on Thursday on the imminent charges.

The charges follow a months-long investigation that involved the Manhattan district attorney's office.

The victim in the rape case has not been identified, the Times reported, but Weinstein will be charged with first-degree and third-degree rape. The other case involves allegations by Lucia Evans, a former aspiring actress who told the New Yorker that Weinstein forced her to give him oral sex in 2004, the Times reported.

Reuters