Up until recently, Joseph Hyungmin Son was best known as the actor who played Random Task, Dr. Evil’s shoe-tossing henchman, in Mike Myers’ first Austin Powers movie. Now, unfortunately, he’ll be known as that guy who was convicted of torturing a California woman in connection with a Christmas Eve rape that took place more than two decades ago.
A jury in Santa Ana, Calif. found Son guilty of one felony count of torture, MSNBC reports. The actor, 40, now faces a maximum sentence of 15-years-to-life in state prison. Son reportedly will be sentenced on Sept. 9.
The initial incident took place in 1990, when Son and co-defendant Santiago Gaitan abducted and sexually abused a woman who was walking back home after a night spent with friends looking at Christmas lights. Son was accused of distracting the woman while Gaitan kidnapped her. Both men were accused of repeatedly raping the victim at gunpoint. A lack of evidence temporarily allowed Son to walk, though in 2008, when he was picked up on an outstanding arrest warrant, DNA samples taken by the court connected him directly to the 1990 kidnapping and gang rape, leading to the current conviction.
Son’s role as Random Task, a riff on the classic James Bond villain Oddjob, was the highlight of his short acting career. The judge is expected to determine how much time he serves for his crimes, though MSNBC notes that because Son fought the charges, he’s likely to receive a longer sentence.
