New York, March 11 -- In a landmark judgement, disgraced Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who faced a series of sexual assault charges, was sentenced to 23 years of imprisonment for rape and sexual assault by a New York judge on Wednesday.

The cases date back to the time of #MeToo movement during which several women, including top actresses, accused the movie mogul of sexually assaulting them.According to BBC, Weinstein's lawyers had appealed for leniency, insisting that even the minimum sentence of five years could be a "life sentence" for him. He came to court on a wheelchair from the Rikers Island jail.Weinstein,67, was found guilty by a court in New York last month. The accusations against him by women triggered the "MeToo ...