‘Sexually Violent Predator’ Label Will Ruin Bill Cosby’s Reputation, Attorney Says

Bill Cosby’s legal team is challenging a recommendation by a panel of experts that he be declared a “sexually violent predator.”

In court documents filed Monday in Pennsylvania, attorney Joseph P. Green Jr. argued that requiring sex-offender registration would only serve to “punish, shame and control” the comedian “in violation” of his “constitutional rights.” Green also contended that the label would harm Cosby’s relationship with his grandchildren because he would not be allowed to be alone with any minors.

Under Pennsylvania law, a sexually violent predator is defined as a person who has a mental abnormality or personality disorder that makes the person likely to engage in predatory sexually violent offenses.

Cosby was convicted in April of drugging and raping a woman at his Pennsylvania home in 2004. The guilty verdict was achieved in his second trial on the charges after the jury in his first trial was unable to reach a verdict.

Cosby, 81, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years, BuzzFeed reported. If the court declares him a predator, he will be required to register for life with the Pennsylvania State Police, attend sex offender counseling and be subject to community notification if he’s ever released from prison.