For obvious reasons, sex crime charges and convictions can have a profoundly negative impact on defendants’ lives. In some cases, however, even baseless allegations can result in a tarnished public image for those who are accused. When this occurs to prominent members of the Philadelphia community, they often suffer from substantial economic losses as a consequence of this bad publicity.

More than 15 women have aimed accusations of sexual assault at Bill Cosby, beloved comedian and star of hit television program “The Cosby Show.” The women claim that the comedian sexually assaulted them in their sleep after providing them with alcohol or drugs.

Amidst these allegations, Netflix and NBC have terminated upcoming Cosby projects. In addition, reruns of “The Cosby Show” on TV Land have been halted. Reports do not indicate what kind of financial impact these networks’ actions have had on the comedian.

Cosby is currently on tour and recently performed in Florida. Reports do not offer details on whether the accusations have had any effect on Cosby’s tour dates or ticket sales.

Regardless of whether sex crime allegations are launched against a celebrity or an average citizen, they can have a substantial effect on that person’s finances and personal relationships. Successfully defending against these accusations in a court of law can play an important role in helping sex crime defendants put these incidents behind them. Because of this, those who have been charged with such offenses may want to speak with an attorney as soon as they become the target of sexual assault allegations.

Source: The New York Times, “For Some Fans, Accusations of Rape Crumble Bill Cosby’s Wholesome Image,” Kate Zernike, Nov. 22, 2014