Kevin Spacey pleads not guilty to sex offences, faces trial next year
- The House of Cards star is accused of 5 offences – 4 counts of sexual assault by touching, and 1 of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent
- A trial date of June 6 next year has been agreed – if found guilty of the more serious offence, the actor could face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment
Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey will go on trial in London next year after pleading not guilty on Thursday to accusations of sex offences dating back almost 20 years.
Spacey is accused of five offences in Britain – four counts of sexual assault by touching, and a more serious charge of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Prosecutors say Spacey forced a man to have oral sex.
Speaking clearly, the 62-year-old American actor and producer, whose name was given as Kevin Spacey Fowler, said “not guilty” when each of the charges were put to him at London’s Old Bailey central criminal court.
Wearing glasses and a light blue suit, he sat impassively in the dock during the 20-minute hearing as a trial date of June 6 next year was agreed.
“Thank you my Lord,” he told the judge at the end of the hearing. He has been granted unconditional bail.
If found guilty of sexual assault, Spacey could face a six-month prison sentence or an unlimited fine, while the more serious offence carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.