Hollywood star Kevin Spacey charged with sexual offences towards males in UK

By PTI

LONDON: Hollywood star Kevin Spacey has been charged with 4 counts of sexual assault towards three males, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated on Thursday.

The 62-year-old Oscar-winning American actor, behind well-known movies equivalent to ‘Usual Suspects’ and ‘American Beauty’ and the Netflix political drama ‘House of Cards’, has additionally served as inventive director of London’s Old Vic theatre from 2004 to 2015.

“The CPS has authorised criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 62, for four counts of sexual assault against three men,” stated Rosemary Ainslie, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division.

“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,” she stated.

“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,” she added. The CPS stated this can be very necessary there needs to be no reporting, commentary or sharing of knowledge on-line which might in any means prejudice these proceedings.

The costs date again to March 2005 in London towards a person now in his 40s and two others dated August 2008 towards a person now in his 30s. A cost dated April 2013 pertains to sexual assault in Gloucestershire, south-west England, towards a person now in his 30s. The costs introduced this week comply with an investigation launched by Scotland Yard again in 2017.

“The CPS’ charging decision follows a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police Service in its investigation,” the Met Police stated.

The CPS highlighted that it’s not for the prosecution service to resolve whether or not an individual is responsible of a legal offence, however to make “fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider”.

It famous that the CPS evaluation of any case will not be in any sense a discovering of, or implication of, any guilt or legal conduct.

It will not be a discovering of reality, which might solely be made by a court docket, however moderately an evaluation of what it may be doable to show to a court docket, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, the CPS stated. The actor, whose full identify is Kevin Spacey Fowler, has beforehand denied allegations towards him.