In his first appearance in a London court after being charged with five felonies, including four counts of sexual assault, American actor Kevin Spacey was granted bail on Thursday.
During a brief procedural hearing, Spacey was asked to confirm his identity, date of birth, and London residence, and his next hearing was set for July 14.
His counsel convinced the court that he would need to return to the United States to work and see his family between court hearings; therefore, he was granted unconditional release.
Last month, the 62-year-old “House of Cards” actor was charged with four counts of sexual assault against three men and a fifth crime of inducing someone to engage in penetrative sexual intercourse without their consent.
Spacey’s lawyer told the court that his client “vehemently denies” all criminal claims.
On Thursday, the actor was greeted by a big gathering of reporters and photographers at Westminster Magistrates Court, dressed in a light blue suit, dark tie, and glasses.
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 are among the charges he faces. The fifth charge of nonconsensual penetrative action is similarly related to the incident in 2013.
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According to London’s Metropolitan Police, the alleged victim of the 2005 incidents is now in his 40s, while the two males accused of being engaged in the 2008 and 2013 assaults are now in their 30s.
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Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service approved the accusations against Spacey in late May, but they could not be legally applied until Monday when he was in the country.
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 just returned to acting after starring in Netflix’s political drama “House of Cards.”