Bill Cosby's Hollywood Walk of Fame star 'will not be removed' despite prison sentence

81-year-old The Cosby Show star sentenced to between three and 10 years in prison

Comedian and actor Bill Cosby will not have his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame removed despite being sentenced to between three and 10 years in prison over sexual assault charges.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce called Cosby's sentence "regrettable" but confirmed the star will stay.

"Once installed, the stars become part of the historic fabric of the Walk of Fame, a 'designated historic cultural landmark,' and are intended to be permanent," the chamber said in a statement.

"It is regrettable when the personal lives of inductees do not measure up to public standards and expectations; however, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce does not remove stars from the Walk of Fame."

After accusations against The Cosby Show star began to come to wider public attention 2014, there have been several petitions to have the star removed, but all to no avail.

The star has been vandalised several times, for example "serial rapist" being scrawled across it in black marker pen. Cosby has repeatedly denied all allegations against him some of which date back to the 1960s.

Cosby, 81, was found guilty in April this year of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for the drugging and assault of Andrea Constand, a former Temple University administrator, at his Philadelphia mansion in 2004.

Today at Montgomery County Court in Pennsylvania Bill Cosby was sentenced by Judge Steven O'Neill to three to 10 years in prison.

Cosby was also deemed a "sexually violent predator" under state law, meaning he will have to register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life and attend monthly counselling sessions. Local schools and neighbours will be notified of his address and crimes.