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A day after Bill Cosby was arrested on charges of aggravated indecent assault, the 78-year-old broke his silence, tweeting a message of thanks to his 4.1 million Twitter followers.

“Friends and fans, Thank you,” the message read.

Cosby, who was arraigned the day before on charges stemming from a 2004 incident, was released on $1 million bail after a short court appearance. He is expected back in court for a hearing Jan. 14.

Former Temple University employee Andrea Constand says the iconic comedian drugged and assaulted her more than 11 years ago. Cosby’s lawyer, who called the charges “unjustified,” told ABC News he vows to fight to clear the entertainer’s name.

“The charge by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office came as no surprise, filed 12 years after the alleged incident and coming on the heels of a hotly contested election for this county’s DA during which this case was made the focal point,” said attorney Monique Pressley. “Make no mistake, we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge and we expect that Mr. Cosby will be exonerated by a court of law.”

Constand said in 2005 that after she and Cosby became friends he invited her to his home in Pennsylvania, where he made multiple sexual advances over time. She said that on one occasion in 2004, he gave her pills and wine, which made her unresponsive and unable to move, allegedly enabling him to sexually assault her.

Cosby and Constand eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, but the district attorney in Montgomery County at the time decided not to press criminal charges. The settlement did not include an admission of guilt.

The new second-degree felony charges came after U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno unsealed Cosby’s deposition, revealing his admission that he gave the drug Quaaludes to women he intended to have sex with, ABC News reports.

Constand is one of 50 women who have come forward accusing Cosby of sexual misconduct.

SOURCE: ABC News | VIDEO SOURCE: Inform | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty, Twitter

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Bill Cosby Breaks His Silence, Thanks Fans A Day After Arrest  was originally published on newsone.com