Pornstar Ron Jeremy to Be Declared Incompetent to Stand Trial for Rape Due to 'Severe Dementia'

According to the Los Angeles Times, the retired adult film star, 69, whose legal name is Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, is suffering from "severe dementia" and will be declared unfit for trial on Jan. 17 and likely be placed in a state-run hospital, following allegations from at least 20 women since June 2020.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and an attorney for Hyatt did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
In an email obtained by The Times, L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson said that mental health experts enlisted by both the prosecutors and Hyatt's legal team determined his condition, of which there was no evidence he was faking.
"As a result of the agreement of the experts, the defendant will be declared incompetent to stand trial ... his prognosis for improvement is not good," Thompson wrote.
"If he does not improve, we will not be able to try him for his crimes," he continued. "Because criminal proceedings are suspended as long as he is incompetent, we also cannot get a guilty plea from him or discuss other measures to get justice for the victims in this case."
Hyatt can still be declared fit for trial in the future if his condition improves.
Some of Hyatt's relatives reportedly suspected that he suffered from dementia before his arrest in 2020, according to the email. Experts reached their conclusion based on medical documents, as well as interviews with Hyatt, his relatives and L.A. County sheriff's deputies who interacted with him during his incarceration.

Lianne Young, a former British adult film star and one of Hyatt's accusers, told The Times she was "kind of numb" after hearing of the decision, noting that his indictment sparked a necessary conversation about consent in the adult film industry.
"It's going to come down to public opinion now, and public opinion has looked at Ron like a god," Young said. "It could be an indication to other predators or viewers of pornography that they can get away with such crimes."
In August 2021, Hyatt was indicted on more than 30 counts of sexual assault, with accusations dating back to 1996 and victims ranging from ages 15 to 51. He pleaded not guilty and has maintained his innocence.
Hyatt was initially charged with a dozen counts of forcible rape, seven counts of forcible oral copulation, six counts of sexual battery by restraint, four counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious or asleep person and one count of committing a lewd act on a minor.