Harvey Weinstein transferred to state prison

Disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein has been transferred to a state prison in New York as he begins to serve his sentence for rape and sexual assault, officials said.

Weinstein, once one of Hollywood’s most powerful men, was sentenced to 23 years in prison by a judge in New York last week after being convicted of assaulting a production assistant at his apartment in 2006, and third-degree rape of another woman in 2013.

The former producer, who will turn 68 on Thursday, is locked up at the maximum security Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo, according to state prison officials.

Weinstein attended college nearby and got his start in the entertainment business in the area as a concert promoter bringing the likes of Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones to town.

The prison, six hours by car from Manhattan, is likely just a temporary stop but one that Weinstein’s spokesman called “harsh”.

Weinstein will be be evaluated there to determine which state prison facility meets his security, medical, mental health and other needs.

Weinstein had been splitting time between New York City’s notorious Rikers Island prison complex and a Manhattan hospital after he had a stent inserted to unblock an artery following his guilty verdict.

Meanwhile, prosecutors in Los Angeles have started the extradition process to bringWeinstein to California after he was charged in January with one felony count each of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by restraint.

Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women including actresses Rose McGowan, Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lawrence.