Actor Kevin Spacey denies sexually
assaulting teen on Nantucket
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[January 08, 2019]
By Nate Raymond
NANTUCKET, Mass. (Reuters) - Former "House
of Cards" star Kevin Spacey stood impassively in a Nantucket courtroom
on Monday before pleading not guilty to sexually assaulting an
18-year-old man at an island bar over two years ago, a charge his lawyer
dismissed as "patently false."
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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Actor Kevin Spacey arrives to face a sexual assault charge at
Nantucket District Court in Nantucket, Massachusetts, U.S., January
7, 2019. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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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