The Los Angeles district attorney is declining to press charges against Marilyn Manson after a years-long investigation into claims of sexual assault and domestic violence made against the controversial musician.

“We have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations, and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt,” the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office wrote in a release announcing the decision Friday.

“We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation,” the release continued. “While we are unable to bring charges in this matter, we recognize that the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Manson’s reps for comment.

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In recent years, more than a dozen women, including ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood and “Game of Thrones” actor Esmé Bianco, have publicly accused Manson — born Brian Warner — of sexual assault and abuse. One ongoing legal battle accuses the singer of sexually assaulting a woman when she was 16.

Bianco’s lawsuit was settled in January 2023, and several other lawsuits have been settled or dismissed. Wood never officially filed a lawsuit, and in November, Manson dropped his defamation lawsuit against her following a two-year legal battle where he accused her of inflicting emotional distress and spreading the “malicious falsehood” that “publicly cast” him as a “rapist and abuser.”

The decision from Nathan J. Hochman, the Los Angeles district attorney, caps a four-year-long investigation into the claims − a collaboration between the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Sex Crimes Division.

That the holdup in the case was the statute of limitations fits into a growing pattern within the legal landscape. As several high-profile cases have been brought against musicians like Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jay-Z and Garth Brooks, the statute of limitations − or how long an accuser has to take legal action − has taken center stage.

While efforts in some states to pry open the statute of limitations in criminal cases have been unsuccessful, similar campaigns for civil cases involving assault have led to policy change. Both the cases brought by Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura against the music mogul and former journalist E. Jean Caroll against President Donald Trump were made possible by one-time lookback windows that allowed victims to pursue civil claims despite the statute of limitations expiring.

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In the Jay-Z case, in which an anonymous accuser is alleging the rapper raped her in 2000, Jay-Z’s legal team has cited the statute of limitations as a part of the reason the claim should not stand.

“We also acknowledge and commend them for making an important contribution to extending the statute of limitations for the prosecution of domestic abuse locally and throughout the nation,” the LA DA’s release wrote of survivors of assault. “Due to their efforts, victims of domestic violence have a greater voice in our criminal justice system and prosecutorial offices around the country have improved tools to hold domestic violence abusers accountable for their actions.”

In spite of his legal troubles, Manson announced new tour dates this week which include concerts in Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, New Orleans and Houston. The musician is currently on a world tour that is set to hit sold-out concerts in Zurich, Milan, Berlin and more European cities in February, as well as Peru’s Vivo X El Rock festival in March.

Contributing: Taijian Moorman