A SEXUAL assault charge against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has been dismissed by a New York judge.

One of the charged against Harvey Weinstein has been dismissed

Judge James Burke dismissed one of the six criminal charges pending against Weinstein after prosecutors said they could not oppose the dismissal in light of information they had learned while investigating the case.

The charge concerns an alleged sexual assault of a woman by Weinstein in 2004.

Five other charges, involving alleged assaults of two other women, remain in the case in Manhattan criminal court.

Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Harvey Weinstein had a dramatic fall from grace when the allegations emerged

Weinstein's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, has said he will seek dismissal of the remaining charges as well.

Weinstein has denied raping anyone following accusations by more than 70 women – mostly young actresses and other women employed in the movie business – of sexual misconduct, including rape, dating back decades.

The accusations sparked the #MeToo movement that saw in which hundreds of women publicly accuse powerful men in business, politics, and entertainment of sexual harassment and abuse.

Famous friends have since distanced themselves from the movie producer

Lawyer Mr Brafman has told the judge he believes one of the cops investigating the allegations corruptly attempted to influence the case by stopping a witness from testifying about misstatements she made.

“The integrity of these proceedings has been compromised,” Mr Brafman told the court.

But prosecutors are said to be planning to pursue all the outstanding charges.

Weinstein had been best mates with Hollywood's most powerful for many years

Assistant district attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon told the judge that evidence with the other charges is strong, adding: "In short, your honor, we are moving full steam ahead."

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