Danny Masterson was sent to a California state prison to serve his rape sentence. It could be over 25 years before he's eligible for parole.
California Dept. of Corrections via Associated Press; Annie I. Bang/Invision/Associated Press, File
- Danny Masterson was convicted of two counts of rape and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
- He was sent to a state prison in California and had his first prison mugshot taken.
- Masterson's lawyers have said they plan to appeal his conviction.
"That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson has been sent to a California state prison to serve his sentence for two rape convictions.
Authorities said Wednesday that the 47-year-old Masterson has been admitted to North Kern State Prison, and they released his first prison mug shot. The photo shows him wearing orange prison attire, with long hair and a beard.
In May Masterson was convicted of raping two women in his Los Angeles home in 2003. In September, a judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison. His wife, actor Bijou Phillips, filed for divorce in the weeks that followed after a marriage of nearly 12 years.
He had been held in Los Angeles County jail in the months since while post-sentencing hearings were held and issues resolved, including the turnover of all the guns Masterson owned, some of which had to be located.
It will be more than 25 years before Masterson will be eligible for parole.
Masterson's lawyers said they plan to appeal the conviction.
In a victim-impact statement read during his sentencing, one of his accusers, identified as N.T., said the actor relished "in hurting women."
"You lived your life behind a mask, as two people. But the real one sits here now. You are pathetic, disturbed, and extremely violent, and the world is safer with you in prison," she said, adding that she has forgiven Masterson.
The three women who accused Masterson of rape were former members of the Church of Scientology, while the actor himself is a second-generation Scientologist. The women said he used his position in the church to silence them, claims the church has pushed back against.
A civil lawsuit filed against Masterson and the Church of Scientology is set to proceed in 2025 following the conclusion of the criminal case.