Kevin Spacey to ‘Voluntarily Appear’ in Court Over Multiple Sexual Assault Charges

 
Kevin Spacey Arraigned On Sexual Assault Charge

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Kevin Spacey will appear before British courts to defend himself against four charges of sexual assault authorized against him last week.

“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,” a spokesperson for Spacey said in a statement to Good Morning America.

“While I am disappointed with their decision to move forward, I will voluntarily appear in the U.K. as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges, which I am confident will prove my innocence.”

The statement comes after U.K. agency the Crown Prosecution Service announced that they had authorized four counts of sexual assault against three men.

“The CPS has authorised criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 62, for four counts of sexual assault against three men,” said Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, in a statement. “He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The charges follow a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.”

The CPS statement later reminded those concerned that “criminal proceedings against Mr. Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”

The charges against Spacey can only be established if the actor is arrested in England or Wales, explaining why Spacey has volunteered to show up in court.

Each alleged assault occurred in the United Kingdom around the same time Spacey directed a play called Complicit at the city’s Old Vic theatre.

Two charges stem from alleged incidents that took place in March 2005 in London against one man, while a third charge alleges Spacey sexually assaulted a second man in August 2008. The fourth sexual assault allegedly occurred in April 2013 in Gloucestershire against a third man.

One of Spacey’s accusers, Harry Dreyfuss, had previously penned a column for Buzzfeed, claiming Spacey groped him in 2008 while his father Richard Dreyfuss was starring in Complicit.

The Old Vic theatre later revealed it received 20 personal testimonies claiming Spacey engaged in alleged inappropriate behavior while he directed the play between 2004 and 2015.

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