Jan. 7 (UPI) — Actor Kevin Spacey was arraigned Monday on felony sexual assault charges in Massachusetts.
The 59-year-old actor is accused of groping an 18-year-old man at a bar in 2016. Through his attorney, he pleaded not guilty at Monday’s arraignment.
Nantucket District Court Judge Thomas Barrett set Spacey’s next court date for March 4, but the actor does not need to appear in person for the hearing. He does, however, need to be available by phone, the judge said.
During the 10-minute hearing, Barrett ordered the Hollywood star to have no contact with his accuser or his family. Spacey waived the reading of the criminal complaint and did not speak.
An attorney for Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner, had previously said the actor planned to enter a not guilty plea. A Massachusetts State Police Report said authorities have video evidence in the case.
The accuser’s mother, former Boston news anchor Heather Unruh, first brought the accusation in November 2017 during an emotional press conference. She fought back tears describing how her son met Spacey when they were at a bar on Nantucket island in July 2016. She said Spacey bought her son alcohol, got him drunk and sexually assaulted him.
News broke on Dec. 24 that Spacey would be charged with indecent assault and battery. Shortly after, Spacey posted a cryptic video to Twitter in which he portrayed his House of Cards character Frank Underwood
“I told you my deepest, darkest secrets. I showed you exactly what people are capable of. I shocked you with my honesty, but mostly I challenged you and made you think,” he said.
Since the initial accusations, several other men have made similar charges of misconduct. He was fired from House of Cards and cut from All the Money in the World.
