Kevin Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexual assault against three men in the United Kingdom. The 62 year old actor faces another charge of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The charges were announced by the Crown Prosecution Service in May. The incidents were said to have taken place between March 2005 and August 2008 and also in April 2013 in Gloucestershire.
Since Spacey is an American and does not reside in the UK, prosecutors can seek extradition proceedings however Spacey has said that he will ‘voluntarily’ appear in the UK.
”While I am disappointed with their decision to move forward, I will voluntarily appear in the UK as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges which I am confident will prove my innocence.
”I very much appreciate the Crown Prosecution Service’s statement in which they carefully reminded the media and the public that I am entitled to a fair trial and innocent until proven otherwise,” he told Good Morning America through a spokesperson.
The CPS Special Crime Division head Rosemary Ainslie said they were brought following a review of evidence gathered by a Metropolitan Police investigation.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial,” she said.
Some of the charges are believed to have arisen from when Spacey was working at the Old Vic theatre in London where he served as artistic director from 2004 to 2015. Following a series of sexual assault allegations against the actor in the US, the theatre undertook an internal investigation which according to the BBC resulted in 20 victims coming forward claiming that he behaved badly with them.
Spacey has been battling civil and criminal charges ever since his misconduct was first publicly exposed in 2017 by actor Anthony Rapp. The Star Trek: Discovery actor said that Spacey had made a non-consensual sexual advance toward him at a party.