Kevin Spacey, the Oscar-winning actor accused of sex-crimes in Britain, was formally charged by police in London and will appear in a magistrate’s court there this week, Metropolitan Police confirmed. “Kevin Spacey Fowler (Spacey’s legal last name) has been formally charged with four counts of sexual assault against three men,” the Met announced in statement on Monday. “He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent,” that statement said. Prosecutors announced last month that they had authorised charges against the two-time Oscar winner, who was artistic director of The Old Vic theatre in London between 2004 and 2015. Spacey, 62, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court at 10am local time on Thursday. Spacey, who won Academy Awards for the Usual Suspects and American Beauty in the 1990s, said in response that he was “disappointed” with the decision, but promised to voluntarily appear in the UK to defend himself. Kevin Spacey back with cryptic Christmas video urging ‘kindness’ He said in a statement to the Good Morning America TV show that he was confident of proving his innocence. Allegations against Spacey first emerged in the wake of the #MeToo movement that saw numerous claims of sexual assault and harassment in the movie industry. That prompted an investigation by the Met and a review by The Old Vic of Spacey’s time in charge there. Reporting restrictions are in place that prevent the media going into detail about the charges to avoid prejudicing a jury at any trial. The Met has said that the first two charges of sexual assault date from March 2005 in London, and concern the same man, who is now in his 40s. The third is alleged to have happened in London in August 2008 against a man who is now in his 30s. Spacey has also been charged “with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent” against the same man. The fourth sexual assault charge is alleged to have occurred in Gloucestershire, western England, in April 2013 against a third man, who is now in his 30s. None of the alleged victims can be identified under English law. Author Ari Behn, who accused Kevin Spacey of fondling him, takes own life Spacey’s celebrated career came to an abrupt halt in 2017 when actor Anthony Rapp accused the star of assaulting him at a party in the 1980s, when Rapp was a teenager. Spacey denies the allegations. He was dropped from the TV show House of Cards and removed from the movie All the Money in the World after the accusations of sexual misconduct came to light. Spacey and Rapp are now embroiled in civil lawsuits and countersuits in federal court in New York. Agence France-Presse and Tribune News Service