Kevin Spacey to plead in court for sexual assault

The 62-year-old Usual Suspects star is charged with crimes against three different men between 2005 and 2013, while he was an artist. director at the Old Vic theater†

Spacey was charged last month and first appeared in the dock to Westminster court on June 16.

During that hearing, the star’s attorney, Patrick Gibbs QC, said in a packed courtroom: “Mr. Spacey strongly denies any crime in this case.”

His case was brought to trial by Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram, with Spacey due to appear Thursday morning for a plea and prepare for the hearing in Court One at the Old Bailey.

Spacey is expected to be asked to formally plead for the five charges he faces, and the court will set a trial date.

Spacey – who goes by his full name Kevin Spacey Fowler in court records – was harassed by photographers when he arrived for the first hearing last month.

Sitting in the dock of one of the court’s courts, you could see Spacey staring at the assembled members of the media for a long time.

Mr Gibbs said Spacey, who was in the US when the charges were first announced, had “returned to the UK…to establish his innocence”.

Spacey is accused of two sexual assaults in March 2005 in London on a man now in his forties.

He is said to have sexually assaulted a second man, now in his thirties, in London in August 2008 and is being prosecuted for inciting penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The latest charges date back to April 2013, when a man in his thirties says he was sexually assaulted by Spacey in Gloucestershire.

It is said that the sexual assaults took place when the alleged victims “did not consent and (Spacey) did not reasonably believe that he consented”.

Spacey, who won two Oscars for his turns in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects, had a very successful stint as Artistic Director of the Old Vic Theater in London between 2004 and 2015.

The star of films including 2017’s LA Confidential, Seven and Baby Driver, who is also a Tony, Golden Globe and BAFTA winner, has rarely appeared on camera since allegations of sexual misconduct were first leveled against him.

He received an honorary knighthood from Prince Charles, and when the British criminal charges were first announced, Spacey issued a statement saying: “While I am disappointed with their decision to proceed, I will voluntarily resign as soon as possible.” appear in the UK and defend myself against these charges, which I am sure will prove my innocence.”

Spacey, who gave an apartment in Waterloo as his address, is currently on unconditional bail in criminal proceedings.