The Japan Times - Kevin Spacey in UK court on new sex offence charges

The 63-year-old star of "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty" has previously denied five similar allegations against three other men.

At Westminster Magistrates Court in central London, Spacey spoke only to confirm his full name -- Kevin Spacey Fowler -- date of birth and to give an address in Waterloo, south London.

He was wearing a dark suit, light blue tie and glasses.

His lawyer, Patrick Gibbs, told the court that his client had initially been expected to appear from the United States.

But his "travel plans had changed", and he was instead appearing from the Middle East, without elaborating.

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring authorised the application for him to appear remotely, assessing it would have been difficult to be present in person.

"He would not have got here from the airport, would he, with the rail strike?" the judge said, amid a wave of industrial unrest in Britain.

The latest charges, authorised last month by prosecutors, accuse Spacey of three counts of sexual assault and one of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

They relate to one alleged victim and were said to have been committed between 2001 and 2004.

In July, Spacey pleaded not guilty to five similar charges against three men between 2005 and 2013 in London and Gloucestershire, western England.

He is due to face trial on those counts on June 6.

Goldspring granted Spacey unconditional bail until his next apparance on the newer charges at Southwark Crown Court on January 13.

Spacey is due to appear in person at that hearing.

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

Spacey, who was artistic director at London's Old Vic Theatre between 2004 and 2015, in October saw a New York court dismiss a $40 million sexual misconduct lawsuit brought against him.

Anthony Rapp alleged the star targeted him when he was 14. He brought the civil case after being told it was too late to bring a criminal charge

Spacey's acting career came to a halt five years ago when the claims surfaced and he was dropped from the final season of the political drama "House of Cards" and other projects.

Claims against the actor emerged in the wake of the #MeToo movement of sexual assault and harassment in the movie industry.

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

Spacey has always denied allegations of sexual abuse.

T.Ueda--JT