LOS ANGELES, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced Thursday to investigate Harvey Weinstein, after New York and London police started sexual assault probes against the notorious Hollywood movie mogul.
"LAPD Robbery Homicide Division has interviewed a potential sexual assault victim involving Harvey Weinstein in 2013," LAPD tweeted on its official page, "investigation (is) on going."
LAPD officer Sal Ramirez was quoted by the leading online entertainment media Deadline.com as saying that there is no more information about the case at this time but potential charges could see Weinstein to be jailed for nearly a decade if found guilty.
The report said an Italian women met Thursday morning with detectives of LAPD for several hours and provided details of an sexual assault that allegedly occurred following a fashion and film event at the Mr. C Beverly Hills Hotel of Los Angeles in February 2013.
In response to the LAPD action, a representative for Weinstein said Thursday later that his client obviously can't speak to anonymous allegations but "he unequivocally denies allegations of non-consensual sex."
The New York Times broke the bombshell story about Weistein early this month after an exhaustive six-month investigation, disclosing explosive allegations of Weinstein's 30-year pattern of sexual harassment and workplace intimidation against young female stars and employees dependent on his largesse for jobs and career advancement.
Hollywood then was shell-shocked by the sex scandal involving the 65-year-old Hollywood kingmaker and expelled him last Saturday from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Weinstein has been a 20-year member of AMPAS. He won an Oscar in 1999 for producing best-picture winner "Shakespeare in Love."
