'Game of Thrones' Actor Joseph Gatt Arrested for Alleged 'Sexually Explicit Communication' With Minor
Game of Thrones actor Joseph Gatt was arrested earlier this month for allegedly sending "sexually explicit" messages to a minor online, Los Angeles police said Tuesday. Gatt, 50, was arrested outside his Los Angeles home on April 6. Gatt denied the allegations in a Twitter statement Wednesday.
Directives from the LAPD's Juvenile Division, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force arrested Gitt when they served a residential search warrant at the actor's home, according to a police press release. They received a tip that Gatt was "engaged in online sexually explicit communication with a minor across state lines." He was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant on a charge of "contact with a minor for sexual offense."
The case is still under investigation. Police are seeking more information from the public to identify other potential alleged victims. Gatt was released on $5,000 bail hours after being booked, reports NBC News.
Gatt called the "absolutely horrifying" allegations against him "untrue" in a Twitter statement. "They are 100% categorically wrong and reckless," Gatt wrote. "I have confirmed errors and misleading information in today's press release. I am fully cooperating with police and LAPD to get to the bottom of this. I look forward to clearing my good name." He thanked his friends and supporters who also know the allegations are not true, but he could not comment further publicly because of "legal reasons."
Anyone with further information can call Detective Denos Amarantos at 562-624-4027 or 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247) after hours and on weekends. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or LACrimeStoppers.org or LAPDOnline.org. The ICAC task force is leading the investigation.
Gatt is a London-born actor who now lives in Los Angeles. He had minor roles in Thor, I Am Singh, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Tim Burton's Dumbo. Gatt starred in three episodes of Game of Thrones as Thenn Warg. His other television credits include Banshee, Teen Wolf, The 100, Ray Donovan, True Detective, Z Nation, and NCIS: New Orleans. He has also done motion capture and voice work for dozens of video games.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.