Jury at Southwark crown court finds Oscar-winning actor, 64, not guilty after four-week trial

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/1767005

Kevin Spacey wept and said he was humbled after being cleared of sexual assault in one of the UK’s most high-profile #MeToo trials.

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The actor, who stood trial under his full name, Kevin Spacey Fowler, was found not guilty of nine sexual offences against four men in their 20s and 30s, between 2004 and 2013.

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Spacey had previously denied 12 charges – seven sexual assaults, three indecent assaults, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

A further charge of indecent assault was added mid-trial, taking to 13 the total number of alleged offences listed on the indictment.

Last Wednesday, the four indecent assault charges were struck off by the judge because of a “legal technicality”.

The court heard that two of the complainants in the case were pursuing Spacey in the civil courts.

      • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukOPEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        That was my understanding but I’m not an expert. They might have a good case (don’t these tend to revolve around lost earnings?) or it could have been just said out of spite to rain on his parade or their lawyer reckons Spacey would settle (because what’s a few hundred k when you could be earning millions?). We’ll have to wait and see.

        • G4Z@feddit.ukEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          Loss of earnings or reputational damage I suppose, I think these might be quite hard to demonstrated but like you I’m not entirely sure.

          We will have to see how it develops, I’ll be honest, it would be quite nice if one of my heros wasn’t actually a bloody sex pest for once.

          • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukOPEnglish
            2·
            1 year ago

            > Loss of earnings or reputational damage I suppose, I think these might be quite hard to demonstrated but like you I’m not entirely sure.

            Ironically, it’s Spacey who has lost earnings and reputation but that’s not how it works.

            > I’ll be honest, it would be quite nice if one of my heros wasn’t actually a bloody sex pest for once.

            That’d be great. It feels like so many people you read or watched from.the seventies to the nineties was up to no good.

            • G4Z@feddit.ukEnglish
              2·
              1 year ago

              That’d be great. It feels like so many people you read or watched from.the seventies to the nineties was up to no good.

              I am in my 40’s so I don’t remember the 70’s, but 80’s and 90’s it really was a different time! I mean honestly so was the 2000’s, when I think of some of the TV that was made. Remember something about Mirriam?