Harvey Weinstein found guilty of two counts in rape trial

Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree by a jury in New York.

The Hollywood producer faced two charges of rape, one count of criminal sexual act and two counts of predatory sexual assault.

Although he was found guilty of two of the charges, Weinstein was acquitted of two counts of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape, the most serious charges he was facing.

He faces up to 25 years in prison for the sexual assault conviction and up to four years for the third-degree rape conviction. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11.

Following the verdict, Weinstein was ordered immediately into custody.

If he had been found guilty of predatory sexual assault, Weinstein could have been sent to prison for life.

More than 80 women have accused the 67-year-old of sexual misconduct dating back decades, though only a few of the accusations led to criminal charges.

Six women testified at his trial, but Weinstein faced charges only in connection with two of them.

Weinstein was convicted of sexually assaulting his former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress, in 2013.

The jury of seven men and five women took five days to reach their verdict in the State Supreme Court, in New York.

On Friday the jury appeared to be hung, sending a note to the judge asking if it was possible to be unanimous on some of the charges but not on others. They were told that their verdict must be completely unanimous and ordered to keep deliberating.

The accusations against Weinstein were a key factor in fuelling the #MeToo movement, in which women across the globe have spoken out against sexual misconduct by powerful men.

His downfall began in 2017 after the New Yorker magazine published an in-depth article featuring scores of allegations against him.

Throughout the trial, Weinstein - who himself did not testify - maintained any sexual encounters were consensual.