Bill Cosby to remain free on $1 million bail pending trial

Bill Cosby will remain free on a $1 million bail pending trial following a brief arraignment hearing Wednesday afternoon on charges stemming from a nearly 12-year-old sexual assault allegation. He did not have to enter a plea.

Cosby stripped of honorary degree

Earlier Wednesday, he was charged with sexually assaulting a woman at his home. It is a first-degree felony. Cosby was charged with aggravated indecent assault, punishable by five to 10 years behind bars and a $25,000 fine, the AP reported.

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Cosby, 78, walked slowly with the aid of a cane in and out of the proceedings. He took no questions and was swiftly whisked away afterward.

The official proceedings only lasted about 10 minutes.

Wednesday's stunning legal action comes after dozens of women lodged allegations against Cosby, beloved for his avuncular role as the wise Dr. Huxtable on the 1980s hit "The Cosby Show." Numerous organizations including Atlanta's Spelman College have moved to distance themselves from Cosby as the story has unfolded.

Earlier this year Spelman announced it had canceled a professorship associated with Cosby and returned the money. The Cosbys' association with Spelman has been one of their longest, most generous, and perhaps the most prestigious.

Cosby's legal team launched an aggressive defense long before today's charges were announced. He has sued a number of his accusers including supermodel Beverly Johnson , one of the dozens of women who have accused him of sexual assault. The suit claims Johnson lodged the allegations to jump-start her career.

The "false allegations against Mr. Cosby have been the centerpiece of her attempted resurgence and she has played them to the hilt, repeatedly and maliciously publishing the false accusations in articles, interviews, and television appearances," Cosby's lawsuit states.

These are photos taken during NBC's live stream of the brief proceedings: