Bill Cosby’s publicist said that his client is a victim of the “sex war” that’s taken hold of the country and compared his sentencing to the persecution of Jesus, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The disgraced comedian was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in his Pennsylvania home in 2004.

“They persecuted Jesus, and looked what happened,” said spokesman Andrew Wyatt. “Not saying Mr. Cosby is Jesus, but we know what the country has done to black men for centuries.”

Wyatt, who founded the Birmingham, Alabama-based public relations firm Purpose PR, also invoked Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing sexual assault allegations by two women during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings. He denies the charges against him.

“What is going on in Washington today with Judge Kavanaugh is part of that sex war that Judge [Steven] O’Neill, along with his wife, are part of,” he said.

Cosby’s legal team had asked Judge O’Neill to recuse himself from the case, according to the Post-Dispatch, because his wife, Deborah O’Neill, is a therapist who works with sexual assault victims.

Bill Cosby, handcuffs
Credit: CNN

The 81-year-old was labeled a “sexually violent predator” by the judge and was led away in handcuffs following his sentencing.

He will have to do a lifetime registration with state police, take part in sex offender counseling and notify the community of his new label.