American actor Kevin Spacey appeared in a London Court on Wednesday for the start of his trial for sexual assault charges. Photo by Andy Rain/EPA-EFE
June 28 (UPI) — Kevin Spacey appeared in London on Wednesday for the start of a four-week sexual assault trial.
Spacey, 63, faces 12 charges in connection to a series of alleged incidents involving three men, who are now in their 30s and 40s from 2001 to 2013 and a fourth man between 2001 and 2005. Spacey has entered not guilty pleas to all the charges.
A California native and Oscar-winning actor, Spacey served as artistic director of the Old Vic Theater in London from 2004 and 2015.
Jury selection began at London’s Southwark Crown Court and then testimony, possibly as early as Friday. Spacey has remained free on unconditional bail since the charges were filed.
Spacey entered the courtroom Wednesday morning wearing a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and pink tie, responding to his full name Kevin Spacey Fowler.
The charges center with the Crown Prosecution Service authorizing four counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. In November, seven more charges were added including three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
He could receive up to life in prison if convicted on all charges.
Spacey has been dogged by numerous public controversies and multiple sexual misconduct investigations in the United States dating as far back as the mid-1980s. After a scandal emerged in 2012, Spacey’s popular streaming show House of Cards was forced to shut down production during its sixth and final season.