Kevin Spacey had been on trial for alleged sexual assault in the United Kingdom, and now a verdict has been returned. CBS News reports that Spacey was found not guilty of all nine charges against him stemming from the accusations of four different men. Among the charges Spacey was acquitted of are: sexual assault, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity.
While the men who brought the claims against Spacey cannot be named, under U.K. law, they all testified during the trial and described the actor as a “sexual bully.” Spacey also testified, after pleading not guilty, and stated that he was broken up about the allegations. In May 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that the former House of Cards star has been charged with four counts of sexual abuse against three different men.
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Rosemary Ainslie, the head of the CPS Special Crime Division, issued a statement on the charges, explaining, “The CPS has [authorized] criminal charges against Kevin Spacey…for four counts of sexual assault against three men.” Ainslie continued, “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 statement concluded, “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr. Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.” According to the BBC, the Met Police received a series of complaints dated between 2005 and 2013. After an investigation, authorities determined there was sufficient evidence to charge the actor.
Three of the complaints were related to alleged sexual abuse incidents in London, and one complaint was said to be related to an incident, or incidents, in Gloucestershire. Later in the year, PEOPLE reported that the actor was facing more charges. In a statement, the CPS revealed that all of the newly alleged offenses took place against one “adult male.”
“The CPS has authorized additional criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 63, for a number of sexual assaults against one man between 2001 and 2004,” the statement added. “The CPS has also authorized one charge of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. The authority to charge follows a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.”
