LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Porn star Ron Jeremy was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial in Los Angeles on rape and other sex charges involving 21 women, City News Service reported on Tuesday.
Jeremy, 69, pleaded not guilty in August 2021 to more than 30 counts of sexual assault, including 12 of rape, in the Los Angeles area over a 23-year period. He has been in prison since his arrest in June 2020.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Harris said in a hearing that he had determined, based on reports from prosecutors and Jeremy’s defense, that the actor suffered from “incurable neurocognitive decline,” according to the Associated Press.
Attorney Stuart Goldfarb, who represents Jeremy, had told the court in March 2022 that his client had been unable to recognize him when he visited him in a holding cell before a court hearing.
Goldfarb and a representative for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters on Tuesday.
A hearing on whether to place Jeremy in a state hospital will be held next month, the Associated Press said.
Jeremy was among the biggest names in the adult film industry, appearing in more than 2,000 movies starting in the 1970s.
In August 2020, Jeremy wrote on Twitter: “I can’t wait to prove my innocence in court! Thank you to everyone for all the support.”
The counts against Jeremy included 12 of forcible rape, seven of forcible oral copulation, six of sexual battery, and two of penetration while the victim was asleep or unconscious, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The alleged offenses took place at night clubs and bars in the Los Angeles area, during a photo shoot, and at Jeremy’s home, the District Attorney’s office said.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
