Kevin Spacey to travel voluntarily to UK to face sexual assault charges | UK news

The actor Kevin Spacey will journey voluntarily to the UK to face sexual assault costs, he has advised a US information outlet.

In a press release given exclusively to ABC’s Good Morning America, Spacey mentioned he was assured he may show his innocence with respect to 5 counts referring to alleged assaults towards three males in England between 2005 and 2013.

If Spacey, who is predicated within the US, had not determined to journey to the UK voluntarily, formal extraditions proceedings would have wanted to be instigated to safe his return.

Within the assertion the actor mentioned: “I very a lot admire the Crown Prosecution Service’s assertion during which they rigorously reminded the media and the general public that I’m entitled to a good trial, and harmless till confirmed in any other case. Whereas I’m upset with their resolution to maneuver ahead, I’ll voluntarily seem within the UK as quickly as may be organized and defend myself towards these costs, which I’m assured will show my innocence.”

Spacey can’t be formally charged until he returns to the UK, and pursuing a proper extradition may take a number of months.

The costs, authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service last week, relate to alleged assaults in London and Gloucestershire, with 4 for sexual assault and one for inflicting an individual to interact in penetrative sexual exercise with out consent.

Two counts of sexual assault in London in March 2005 relate to 1 complainant, a person who’s now in his 40s.

One other includes a second complainant, a person who’s now in his 30s, in London in August 2008. The authorised cost of inflicting an individual to interact in penetrative sexual exercise with out consent additionally pertains to the second complainant.

The ultimate authorised cost is sexual assault towards a 3rd complainant, a person who’s now in his 30s, in Gloucestershire in April 2013.

Sexual assault allegations had been first raised publicly towards Spacey in October 2017 because the #MeToo motion grew. The Metropolitan police started its investigations the next month.

Spacey has beforehand denied all the allegations towards him.

Spacey was inventive director of the Outdated Vic theatre in London from 2004 to 2015 and has received two Oscars – a supporting actor award for The Typical Suspects in 1996, and the very best actor prize in 2000 for American Magnificence. His different notable performing roles embody the fictional US president Frank Underwood in Netflix’s Home Of Playing cards, in addition to characters within the movies Seven, LA Confidential and Child Driver.

Spacey had largely disappeared from public view for the reason that allegations had been made, nevertheless it was reported final yr that he had taken a small position as a detective in an Italian crime drama a couple of man wrongly suspected of kid abuse.

A trailer for his new movie, Peter 5 Eight, launched on the Cannes movie pageant this week. Will probably be his first main position since abuse allegations towards him emerged.