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Bill Kelly: Bill Cosby verdict sends a message

FILE - In this April 18, 2018 file photo, Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown. On Thursday, April 26, 2018, Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era, completing the spectacular late-life downfall of a comedian who broke racial barriers in Hollywood on his way to TV superstardom as America's Dad. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File). AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File

The guilty verdict on all three counts of sexual assault against Bill Cosby will resonate far beyond the courtroom in Philadelphia.

It tells us that justice can and should be served on those who prey on others to satisfy their deviant intentions.

The #MeToo movement has brought the scourge of sexual assault into the open and that’s a good thing.

We’ve been shocked by the allegations and revelations about the lewd conduct of many high-profile individuals, but the numerous accusations against Cosby stood out in this cesspool of sexual assaults.

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For years now, scores of alleged victims have been the target of victim shaming and personal threats for having the audacity to tell the world that they were sexually assaulted by Cosby.

Last year, Cosby got off when a jury couldn’t agree on a verdict in the case of a Toronto woman who accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her. Prosecutors decided to retry the case and on Thursday, a jury found Cosby guilty on all three counts of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in January 2004.

The penalties Cosby faces are significant but it’s not clear, at this point, if Cosby will go to prison. He will surely drag this through appeals courts as long as he can.

But his conviction gives hope that victims will be heard and that no one, not even the rich and famous, should be above the law.

Bill Kelly is the host of Bill Kelly Show on AM 900 CHML and a commentator for Global News

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