Kevin Spacey has a few hours ago pleaded not guilty to all the sexual assault charges leveled against him, after he was arranged in a Nantucket District Court on Monday.
Kevin Spacey flew in for the proceedings via a private plane and appeared to be smiling as he entered the courthouse around 10:45 a.m. local time. During a nine-minute hearing, Kevin Spacey was ordered to stay away from and have no contact with the alleged victim or his family.
The court also ordered preservation of cell phone data from the alleged victim’s phone from July 2016 to six months after the alleged incident.
According to CNN, a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.
The next hearing is scheduled for Mar. 4 at 11:00 a.m. local time. The court agreed to waive Kevin Spacey’s appearance; however, he must be available by phone.
Judge Thomas Barrett oversaw the proceedings, and Spacey was represented by Alan Jackson. The alleged victim was represented by assistant district attorney Michael Giardino.
According to NBC News, the case first came to light in November 2017 after the Boston anchor, Heather Unruh, held a press conference and alleged Spacey groped her son’s genitals at The Club Car. The alleged incident was said to have occurred when the alleged victim was 18 years old.
“By reporting the sexual assault, my client is determined an encouraging voice for those victims not yet ready to report being sexually assaulted,” the alleged victim’s attorney told E! News. “My client is leading by example.”
In December 2018, it was revealed that Kevin Spacey faced a felony charge of indecent assault and battery. The former House of Cards star stated his intent to plead not guilty shortly after.
According to ABC News, Spacey had attempted to be excused from Monday’s proceedings, noting his attendance would “amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case.” However, his request was denied.
After staying out of the public eye since the series of accusations, Spacey recently resurfaced. At the end of December, Spacey was photographed for the first time since 2017. The two-time Oscar winner was seen covering up his face with a hat and scarf as he headed to his car. He was then spotted again later that month delivering a pizza to a paparazzi photographer. At the time, he wore a hat with the words “retired since 2017” across the front.