Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey was due to stand trial in a London court on Wednesday for a dozen sex offenses that allegedly took place more than a decade ago.
The 63-year-old star of “American Beauty” and drama series “House of Cards” faces a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in south London.
He has been on unconditional bail since he first appeared in court in Britain last year.
Spacey’s stellar career has been stalled by a slew of sex-crime allegations, although he has not been convicted of any crime.
He appeared at London’s Old Bailey last year to plead not guilty to five offenses against three men, including four counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent .
They took place in 2005 and 2008 in London and in 2013 in Gloucestershire, in the west of England.
In November, prosecutors announced seven additional charges involving another man, bringing the total number of charges Spacey faces in the UK to 12.
The new charges, allegedly committed between 2001 and 2004, include three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
Spacey, whose full name is Kevin Spacey Fowler, appeared at Southwark Crown Court in January to deny all the new charges.
He spoke only to confirm his identity and enter not guilty pleas.
None of the alleged victims can be identified under English law and information restrictions prevent further details being released ahead of the trial.
Spacey enjoyed a very successful acting career with roles such as a middle-aged father lusting after a teenager in “American Beauty”, a serial killer in “Se7en” and the villain in “Superman Returns”.
He worked as artistic director at the Old Vic Theater in London between 2004 and 2015.
In 2017, he was one of the first stars caught up in the global #MeToo movement and was accused of sexual assault by several young men.
He was removed from the last season of the political drama “House of Cards” and other projects.
Last year, a New York court dismissed a $40 million sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against Spacey.
The complainant, actor Anthony Rapp, alleged that the star assaulted him when he was 14 years old. He filed the civil suit after being told it was too late to file criminal charges.
In 2019, sexual assault and indecent assault charges against Spacey were dropped in Massachusetts.
In court appearances, Spacey has denied all allegations of sexual assault.
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