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‘Scrubs’ producer Eric Weinberg charged with rape and assault

Weinberg, 62, is accused of sexually assaulting five women in Los Angeles after having lured them to his home.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, at podium stands by a photo on display of TV producer Eric Weinberg during a news conference to announce sexual assault charges against Weinberg on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon announces sexual assault charges against TV producer Eric Weinberg, in Los Angeles, on Wednesday.Christopher Weber / AP
/ Source: NBC News

A Hollywood writer and former co-producer of “Scrubs” has been charged with sexually assaulting five women in six years, the Los Angeles County district attorney said Wednesday.

Eric Weinberg, 62, is charged with 18 counts, including sexual penetration by use of force and forcible rape, District Attorney George Gascón said.

“The defendant relied on his Hollywood credentials to lure young women for photo shoots where he allegedly sexually assaulted them,” Gascón said in a statement.

Weinberg is free after having posted $5 million bond, the district attorney’s office said.

Weinberg’s criminal defense attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. A spokesperson for Weinberg declined to comment.

Police initially arrested him in July in Los Angeles.

In some of the cases, Weinberg approached women in public places, told them he was a photographer and sexually assaulted them when they went to his home, prosecutors said.

Weinberg was a co-executive producer of “Scrubs” and “Californication,” and he worked on other shows.

Weinberg is charged with six counts of sexual penetration by use of force, four counts of oral copulation, three counts of forcible rape, two counts of sexual battery by restraint and one count each of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury, attempted sexual penetration by use of force and false imprisonment by violence, the district attorney’s office said.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 25, the DA’s office said.

Weinberg is charged in connection with incidents alleged to have occurred in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the district attorney’s office said.

There could be other victims. When police announced the arrest in July, they said detectives believe there could be victims going back to the 1990s who have not been identified.

Gascón said at a news conference Wednesday that the charges filed Wednesday relate to five victims and that the investigation continues.

More tips have come in since July, Los Angeles Police Detective Ryan Lamar said Wednesday.

“They’re all being currently worked on and thoroughly investigated at this time,” Lamar said.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.