Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey appeared in a British court on Thursday (16) to face sex crimes charges after being charged by London police earlier this week.
Spacey is charged with five counts: four counts of sexual assault and an additional count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity with penetration without consent. Prosecutors say the actor forced a man to perform oral sex.
Spacey, wearing glasses and a pale blue suit, arrived with his legal team for the first hearing in his case at Westminster Magistrates Court in London.
Police said the alleged attacks took place between March 2005 and April 2013 – four in the British capital and one in Gloucestershire, west of England. They involved a man who is now in his 40s and two others now in their 30s.
Spacey, who was once one of the biggest stars of Hollywood has virtually disappeared from public view since he was accused of sexual misconduct five years ago.
The 62-year-old actor, who won the Oscar for best actor in “American Beauty” and best supporting actor in “The Usual Suspects,” he previously denied all allegations of misconduct.
He was dropped from the series “House of Cards” and removed from the movie “All the Money in the World” after sexual misconduct allegations came to light.
The seriousness of the charge involving oral sex means the case will have to be sent to a higher court for judgment.
If found guilty of sexual assault he can receive a sentence of up to six months in prison or an unlimited fine, but the other crime carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Spacey once lived in the UK. He was the artistic director of the Old Vic Theater in London between 2004 and 2015.
Source: CNN Brasil
