Hollywood star Kevin Spacey bailed in UK sex assault case

PTI, Jun 16, 2022, 5:51 PM IST

London: Hollywood star Kevin Spacey appeared at a London court on Thursday and was granted unconditional bail until a full hearing into allegations that he sexually assaulted three men.

The 62-year-old actor, accompanied by his legal team, told the court he “strenuously denies” the charges authorised by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) last month (May).

”Mr Spacey strenuously denies any and all criminality in this case,” said Patrick Gibbs, defence barrister for Spacey.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tanweer Ikram adjourned the case until the next hearing at Southwark Crown Court in London on July 14 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

A large group of reporters and camera persons were camped at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to capture the arrival of Spacey, who was dressed in a light blue suit and dark tie and was seen smiling.

The charges were read out to him, which include four counts of sexual assault against three men and a fifth charge of causing a man to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The actor made no comment outside the court but has previously said that he is ”confident I will prove my innocence”.

The Oscar-winning American actor, behind famous films such as ‘Usual Suspects’ and ‘American Beauty’ and the Netflix political drama ‘House of Cards’, has also served as artistic director of London’s Old Vic theatre from 2004 to 2015.

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial,” Rosemary Ainslie, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, had said last month when the charges were authorised.

The charges against Spacey date back to March 2005 in London against a man now in his 40s and two others dated August 2008 against a man now in his 30s.

A charge dated April 2013 relates to sexual assault in Gloucestershire, south-west England, against a man now in his 30s.

The charges followed an investigation launched by Scotland Yard back in 2017.