London: Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey pleaded not guilty Thursday to sexually assaulting three men a decade or more ago, and was told he would face trial next year.
Spacey, 62, sat in the dock and spoke clearly while answering “not guilty” of each of the five charges during a hearing in London’s Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey.
Actor Kevin Spacey leaves London Central Criminal Court on Thursday. Credit: Getty
Judge Mark Wall set a date of June 6, 2023 to begin the trial and said it would last three to four weeks. It is likely to be in the Old Bailey, the site of Britain’s most prominent criminal trials.
The former House of Cards star, who directed London’s Old Vic Theater between 2004 and 2015, denied four counts of sexual assault and one of causing a person to engage in penetrating sexual activity without consent.
The incidents allegedly took place in London between March 2005 and August 2008, and one in the west of England in April 2013. The victims are now between 30 and 40 years old.
Space’s lawyer said earlier that the actor “vigorously denies” the allegations.
Spacey, who is based in London and the United States, was released on bail and allowed to return to the United States after a preliminary hearing last month. The judge continued the plaintiff’s unconditional bail on Thursday and said another pre-trial hearing would be held in early 2023.
Spacey thanked the judge at the end of the 15-minute hearing. He made no comment when he left the courtroom and was ushered through a crowd of photographers and camera equipment into a chauffeur-driven car.