Topline
Actor Kevin Spacey pleaded not guilty to multiple sexual assault charges filed against him in the U.K. during an appearance at a London court on Thursday, a move which comes weeks after the actor “strenuously denies” the allegations against him.
Actor Kevin Spacey arrives at the Central Criminal Court where he appearing charges on sexual … [+]
Key Facts
Appearing before the Central Criminal Court in London, Spacey pleaded not guilty to all charges including four counts of sexual assault against three men and another count of forcing a person to engage in “penetrative sexual activity” without their consent.
The next hearing in the case has been set for June 2023 and the trial is expected to last three to four weeks, according to Sky News.
Spacey has been granted unconditional bail, which will allows him leave the U.K. until the trial commences.
The charges against the actor stem back from various alleged incidents as old as 17 years ago.
Key Background
Last month, Spacey was granted unconditional bail following his first appearance at a London court after the sexual assault charges were formally filed against him by the British Crown Prosecution Service. During his court appearance the actor’s lawyer said he “strenuously denies any and all criminality.” After the charges against him were made public Spacey issued a statement to ABC’s Good Morning America saying he would “voluntarily appear” before courts in the U.K. and said he was “confident” he would be able to prove his innocence.
Tangent
The 62-year-old actor has faced multiple accusations of sexual assault both in the U.S. and the U.K. He was first accused by actor Anthony Rapp in 2017 and multiple other people have come forward since. Following Rapp’s allegations, London’s Old Vic theater—where Spacey served as the artistic director from 2004 to 2015—disclosed that it has received 20 complaints of inappropriate behavior by the actor.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/07/14/kevin-spacey-pleads-not-guilty-in-uk-sexual-assault-case/