Bill Cosby has been found guilty on three charges of sexual assault.

The 80-year-old Cosby was found guilty of drugging and molesting former athletics administrator Andrea Constand at his home in 2004.

A jury of seven men and five women spent a day and a half deliberating on the case.

Last June, a judge declared a mistrial after more than 52 hours of jury deliberations over six days.

CNN legal analyst Laura Coates says the verdict is historic and surprising.

"It's the very first time that you have a celebrity high profile '#MeToo' case and really everyone thought that because of the questions that were asked about 'please define consent for us' that it would bode just like it did in the last trial."

Cosby could spend the rest of his life behind bars, after being found guilty of sexual assault.

The comedian faces up to 10 years in prison on each count and could serve them concurrently.

But Coates says any sentence will probably be a life sentence.

"There's always the possibility there could be a probationary sentence, they may not impose the ten years, the mandatory sentence, but there's always the possibility that he could spend the rest of his life in jail."

A previous trial last year ended in deadlock.