US actor Kevin Spacey denies seven new sex offenses

Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey on Friday denied charges of committing seven new sexual offences against a man in Britain in the early 2000s.

The 63-year-old star of Oscar-winning film "American Beauty" and drama series "House of Cards" appeared at Southwark Crown Court in south London via videolink.

He spoke to confirm his identity and plead not guilty to the charges.

Spacey's stellar career has been halted by large numbers of allegations of sexual offenses although he has not been convicted of any crime.

The actor was slapped with the fresh charges involving one man in November, taking the total number of charges he faces in the UK to 12.

Last summer he appeared at London's Old Bailey court to plead not guilty to five charges of similar sexual offenses against three other men.

Now on unconditional bail, Spacey will face a four-week trial in London, starting June 6, which will consider all the charges.

The new charges are three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, allegedly committed between 2001 and 2005.

None of the alleged victims can be identified under English law and reporting restrictions prevent further details being disclosed before trial.

Spacey enjoyed a highly successful acting career with roles such as a middle-aged father lusting after a teen in "American Beauty," a serial killer in "Se7en" and the villain in "Superman Returns".

He worked as artistic director at London's Old Vic Theatre between 2004 and 2015.

This success all came crashing down in 2017 when he was one of the first stars caught up in the global #MeToo movement and was accused of sexual assault by multiple young men.

He was dropped from the final season of the political drama "House of Cards" and other projects.

Last year a New York court dismissed a $40 million sexual misconduct lawsuit brought against Spacey.

The complainant, actor Anthony Rapp, alleged the star had assaulted him when he was 14. He brought the civil case after being told it was too late to bring a criminal charge.

In 2019, charges of indecent and sexual assault were dropped against Spacey in Massachusetts.

In court appearances, Spacey has denied all allegations of sexual assault.

© 2023 AFP