Image Source: Mercury News
During his first appearance in a London court after being charged with five charges, including four counts of sexual assault, US actor Kevin Spacey was granted bail on Thursday.
During a brief procedural hearing, Spacey confirmed his identity, date of birth, and London address, and a date of July 14 was set for his next hearing.
After his counsel informed the court that he would need to return to the United States between court appearances to work and see his family, he was granted unconditional bail.
Last month, the 62-year-old “House of Cards” actor was charged with four charges of sexual assault against three men and a fifth allegation of inducing someone to engage in penetrative sexual intercourse without their consent.
Spacey’s lawyer told the court that his client “vehemently denies” all charges of wrongdoing.
On Thursday, the actor was greeted by a big swarm of reporters and photographers when he arrived at Westminster Magistrates Court dressed in a light blue suit, dark tie, and glasses.
He is accused of two counts of sexual assault against a man in London in 2005, a third count of sexual assault against a different man in London in 2008, and a fourth count of sexual assault against a guy in Gloucestershire, western England, in 2013. The fifth charge of nonconsensual penetrative action likewise pertains to the occurrence in 2013.
According to London’s Metropolitan Police, the accused victim of the 2005 assaults is now in his 40s, and the two men allegedly involved in the 2008 and 2013 incidents are now in their 30s.
The Crown Prosecution Service approved the allegations against Spacey in late May, but they could not be legally applied until Monday when he was in the United Kingdom.
Kevin Spacey earned two Academy Awards for his parts in “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty” and served as creative director of the Old Vic theater in London from 2003 to 2015.
He also just returned to acting after starring in the Netflix political drama “House of Cards.”
