Harvey Weinstein, the former media mogul and co-founder of The Weinstein Company, has been convicted of rape and sexual assault. Weinstein has been on trial in New York since January, facing several of his many accusers in a court of law, representing one of the most significant moments in the #MeToo movement to date. Now, Weinstein faces 25 years or more in prison.

A jury of 12, comprised of seven men and five women, officially convicted Harvey Weinstein of criminal sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree after five days of deliberation. Weinstein was facing five possible counts in total, including two counts of predatory sexual assault, the most serious charges brought against him, which the jury did not convict him on. Judge James Burke had this to say to the jury following the verdict.

"Thank you for the care and concentration, concern and attention you have given to your deliberations. You are now dismissed. You may leave the courtroom."

After the verdict was read, Harvey Weinstein was ordered to be sent to jail immediately and was taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs. Weinstein is awaiting sentencing, which will take place on March 11. For the criminal sexual assault charge, Weinstein is facing between five and 25 years in prison. For the third-degree rape charge, he is facing between 18 months and four years. Meanwhile, Weinstein is also facing additional charges of rape in Los Angeles. If convicted, he could face up to 28 more years.

Six women in total testified in court against Harvey Weinstein. The testimony of Miriam Haley, a former production assistant on Project Runway, led to the criminal sexual assault conviction. The testimony of former aspiring actress Jessica Mann led to the rape conviction. Annabella Sciorra, Dawn Dunning, Tarale Wulff and Lauren Young also testified against Weinstein. Even though they weren't directly connected to the incidents Weinstein was facing charges for, they were allowed to testify in order to establish a pattern of behavior.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Ever since a bombshell in the New York Times was released in 2017, revealing a long-standing history of sexual misconduct, Harvey Weinstein has faced accusations from more than 80 different women. The fallout from the scandal led to the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, and also encouraged many others to come forward with sexual misconduct accusations against other powerful Hollywood figures.

During his career, Harvey Weinstein produced massive hits such as The Lord of the Rings, Shakespeare In Love, as well as all of Quentin Tarantino's movies prior to the scandal, and the early works of Kevin Smith, amongst many others. This made him one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. But the conviction represents a major win for the #MeToo movement, and for change in the industry. Weinstein seemed confident he would be acquitted. That was not the case, as he is being held accountable for his actions. This news comes to us via The Hollywood Reporter.