Rex Orange County's sexual assault charges dismissed by London court

Just shortly before Rex Orange County was set to stand trial for six counts of sexual assault, a London court has dismissed the charges, BBC News reports. In October, an unidentified woman accused the British singer (legal name Alexander O’Connor) of touching her without her consent on multiple occasions, including in a taxi and in O’Connor’s Notting Hill home.

In a Thursday statement, Crown Protection Services shared that the evidence in the case “no longer met” the standard for prosecution. O’Connor has continuously maintained his innocence ever since CPS first filed charges, and appeared at London’s Southwark Crown Court on October 11 to formally deny all the allegations. O’Connor’s now non-existent trial had been provisionally set for January 3, 2023.

O’Connor announced the update to his case via a lengthy Instagram message, where he states that he was “wrongly accused” of misconduct, and notes that CCTV footage “contradicted” his accuser’s version of events. O’Connor also says that the woman’s partner had been present during the evening in question, and “gave a statement to the police which did not support the allegations” against the singer.

“I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing,” O’Connor wrote. “I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behavior of any kind.”

He continues: “It’s been a difficult time for everyone involved and I’d like to thank the people who have helped me through it as well as my family and loved ones for their continued support.”

Despite their dismissal of O’Connor’s case, the CPS also made clear in their statement that investigating and prosecuting sexual wrongdoing remains a priority. “We will always seek to prosecute sexual offences, where our legal test is met, no matter how challenging,” the office stated.