Kevin Spacey found not guilty in UK sexual assault trial
The London trial concerned four men who made accusations of sexual assault against Spacey, incidents that allegedly occurred between 2001 and 2013.
Kevin Spacey was found not guilty this morning of all counts of sexual assault brought against him in the United Kingdom. The London trial concerned four men who made accusations of sexual assault against the actor, incidents that allegedly occurred between 2001 and 2013. Spacey pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including multiple counts of sexual and indecent assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. (Four additional charges were thrown out at the end of the trial because they “duplicated the same allegations under an older statute,” according to the Associated Press.)
Spacey’s defense cast doubt on the accusers by framing them, variously, as fame chasers, presenting evidence that the men had pursued Spacey for advice or mentorship and posted pictures with the actor on Facebook. The defense argued that the accusations only came up in the wake of the #MeToo movement because the accusers were motivated by money. Conversely, the prosecution in closing arguments suggested that Spacey used his celebrity status to get away with misdeeds.
“Are they all motivated by ‘money, money, money’ as you were told rather dramatically by the defendant?” asked prosecutor Christine Agnew (via the AP). “Or have they all just had enough of the secret of the truth that they have been carrying around for many years? They’re no longer prepared to be the secret keeper of someone who treated them so badly.”
Spacey was previously found not liable in a U.S. civil suit concerning allegations made by Anthony Rapp, one of the first accusers to come forward about his experience with the Oscar winner. More allegations cropped up abroad, particularly in connection with Spacey’s association with the Old Vic Theater; the theater reported 20 individual testimonies of Spacey’s alleged inappropriate behavior (per the BBC). With the conclusion of the criminal case, some, if not all, of the four accusers are expected to file civil suits against Spacey.