American porn star Ron Jeremy, who was accused of rape and sexual assault by 21 women, is set to be declared incompetent to stand trial because of his 'severe dementia.'
The former adult entertainer, 69, was indicted on 30 counts of sexual abuse - after being accused by victims who were as young 15 years old. But it's now unlikely that he will face his rape trial, according to a Los Angeles County prosecutor.
Prosecutors allege Jeremy restrained some of the women and raped or sodomized them - and had sex with others who were sleeping or unconscious.
Jeremy pleaded not guilty to charges including 12 counts of forcible rape, seven counts of forcible oral copulation and six counts of sexual battery by restraint, DA George Gascón previously said.
But now the LA Times reports that Deputy Dist. Atty. Paul Thompson said mental health experts called on by prosecutors and Jeremy’s defense team have determined he suffers from severe dementia.
There is no evidence he is faking his symptoms, the Times reports.
He was expected to appear in a Hollywood courtroom on January 17 where he will be formally declared incompetent.
An internal email read: 'As a result of the agreement of the experts, the defendant will be declared incompetent to stand trial ... his prognosis for improvement is not good.
'If he does not improve, we will not be able to try him for his crimes.
'Because criminal proceedings are suspended as long as he is incompetent, we also cannot get a guilty plea from him or discuss other measures to get justice for the victims in this case.'
His severe dementia has been determined by a review of medical documents and interviews with Jeremy. It's understood that Jeremy will probably be placed in a state-run hospital after being declared incompetent.
He is being held on a $6.6 million bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles County since his arrest in June 2020. His alleged abuse started in the 1990s.
Jeremy was also charged with four counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object and two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious or asleep person.
Further charges included one count each of lewd act upon a child under the age of 14 or 15, sodomy by use of force and assault with intent to commit rape.
Gascón said Jeremy's alleged sexual assaults happened over the course of more than 23 years and involved 21 victims ranging in age from 15 to 51.
Jeremy is alleged to have sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl referred to as 'Jane Doe 5' on June 12, 2004, penetrating her with a foreign object, according to the August 19 indictment obtained by DailyMail.com.
Another girl, 17, was allegedly raped in 2008 at a home in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. She was referred to as 'Jane Doe 22' in the court documents.
Among the first allegations against Jeremy, prosecutors claim he raped a 19-year-old woman during a photo shoot in the San Fernando Valley in October 1996.
Later, Jeremy allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman at a party in a nightclub in Los Angeles County in October 2000, officials said.
The indictment alleges that Jeremy 'unlawfully' had sexual intercourse with 'Jane Doe 19' in 2000 by means 'force, violence, duress, menace or fear of immediate and unlawfully bodily injury.'
Jeremy was also accused of sexually assaulting another woman at a strip club in City of Industry at some point between 2002 and 2003, officials said.
Another woman, 21, went to Jeremy's home where she was allegedly sexually assaulted in 2010. She was referred to as 'Jane Doe 23' in the court documents.
In January 2013, Jeremy allegedly sexually assaulted a 38-year-old woman at a West Hollywood bar he frequented, officials said.
The most recent allegations stem from January 2020 when Jeremy raped and sodomized a woman identified in the court documents as 'Jane Doe 17,' the indictment claims.
'Far too often, survivors of sexual assault suffer in isolation,' Gascón said.
'We must ensure that survivors have all options available to help with recovery, including trauma-informed services for healing and support to report such crimes.'