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 Spacey did not speak during a brief hearing in Nantucket
District Court to face one count of felony indecent assault and
battery, though a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.
Defense lawyer Alan Jackson persuaded Judge Thomas Barrett to
order Spacey's alleged victim to preserve all data from his cell
phone for six months following the July 7, 2016, incident. He
said in court papers the charges were based on "patently false
allegations."
Jackson said police reports showed the 18-year-old busboy
exchanged numerous text messages and Snapchat videos with his
then-girlfriend about his interactions with Spacey at the Club
Car bar on the beach resort island off the coast of
Massachusetts but never mentioned the alleged assault.
Spacey could face up to five years in prison if convicted.
The 59-year-old actor is one of dozens of men in entertainment,
business and politics who have been accused of sexual misconduct
since accusations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein in
2017 sparked the #MeToo movement.
Monday's hearing drew dozens of journalists from around the
world at what is normally a quiet time of year on the island.
Nantucket residents normally take pride in not making a fuss
about rich and powerful vacationers, who have ranged from the
NFL's New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick to former
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, according to local media.
Megan Keller, the manager of a coffee shop, called the prospects
of a high-profile criminal trial "obnoxious."
"That's not a reason I'd like people to come, because someone
committed a crime," she said.
Spacey became embroiled in controversy in October 2017 when
actor Anthony Rapp accused him of trying to seduce him in 1986
when Rapp was 14.
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Spacey apologized for inappropriate conduct with Rapp. The
controversy led to Spacey being dropped from the Netflix series
"House of Cards" and erased from the film "All the Money in the
World."
The Nantucket allegations were first raised in 2017 by former
Boston television journalist Heather Unruh, who told reporters
Spacey groped her teenage son.
He told police Spacey had bought him several rounds of beer and
whiskey and said, "Let's get drunk," according to charging
documents. The busboy told investigators that Spacey groped him
as they stood next to a piano.
Reuters is not identifying Unruh's son because he is an alleged
victim of sex assault.
"My client is a determined and encouraging voice for those
victims not yet ready to report being sexually assaulted,"
attorney Mitchell Garabedian said in an email.
Other locals said they hoped the case would not hurt the
island's reputation as a low-key getaway for the well-off.
"If you're famous and you don't want to be seen, Nantucket is
the place for you," said Greg Margolis, the owner of the Corner
Table Cafe.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond, writing by Scott Malone; Editing by
Frances Kerry and Grant McCool)
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