Bill Cosby Officially Charged; Arrest Warrant Issued

An arrest warrant has been issued for comedian Bill Cosby for a sexual assault that allegedly occurred in 2004, People reports.

Cobsy, 78, is charged with aggravated indecent assault for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home in Pennsylvania in January 2004, according to People and CNN. He is expected to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon.

Though more than 50 women have come forward with accusations that Cosby sexually assaulted them, dating back decades, this is the first time he has been formally charged. The statute of limitations to file charges for the alleged 2004 assault runs out next month.

Why no one should be surprised by the allegations against Bill Cosby

Constand struck up a friendship with Cosby in 2002 after meeting him at Temple University, where she was the manager of the women's basketball team. Constand claims that Cosby invited her to his home one night to offer career advice, and gave her three pills to "help her relax" before sexually assaulting her while she was in a "semi-conscious" state.

A year later, she reported the incident to authorities, who elected not to prosecute Cosby. Constand subsequently filed a civil suit against the comedian, which was settled confidentially in 2006. Her criminal case against Cosby was reopened this summer.

Cosby has sued many of his accusers for defamation and previously claimed that his encounter with Constand was consensual; however, Constand was in a relationship with a woman at the time.