Kevin Spacey accused of being ‘sexual bully’ who got ‘sexual gratification’ from victims’ discomfort, court told
The prosecution has opened its case in the Kevin Spacey trial with claims the actor was a “sexual bully” who “delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable”, and whose “preferred method of assault” was to “grab” other men “aggressively in the crotch”.
Spacey is in court in the UK on 12 charges – including three of indecent assault and seven of sexual assault – in relation to four men.
Read more: Kevin Spacey trial – as it happened
In a short session lasting just an hour-and-a-half, prosecutor Christine Agnew described the allegations of four men who claim to have been sexually assaulted by the actor.
The 63-year-old star – who was present in court – was described by Ms Agnew as “a famous actor who has won a number of awards,” and by one of his alleged victims as “a star, a golden boy”.
The two-time Oscar winner is known for roles in productions such as House of Cards, American Beauty and The Usual Suspects.
The relevance of Spacey’s fame was flagged early on, with the prosecution warning the jury not to become “star struck” or “overwhelmed,” while the defence said the trial would offer “insights into both sides of fame”, including “the way people act towards you” when you are famous.
The court also heard from the statements of the four victims – none of whom are known to one another according to the prosecution – and who will remain anonymous in coverage of the case.
Ms Agnew said: “None of the men wanted to be touched by Kevin Spacey Fowler in a sexual way, but he doesn’t seem to have cared very much for their feelings.
“He did what he wanted to do for his own personal sexual gratification.”
‘Getting angry simply turned him on’
The first alleged victim, who worked with Spacey in the early 2000s in London, said the actor touched him inappropriately on numerous occasions and at one point “grabbed him so hard” while he was driving that he nearly drove off the road.
He said he asked Spacey on numerous occasions not to touch him, but added Spacey laughed at his request, and he believed “his getting angry simply turned him on”.
He said Spacey seemed “confident” he wouldn’t tell anyone about the alleged assaults.
The alleged victim added he thinks that could have been due to his reputation as a “worldwide star,” or possibly considering he would be “too embarrassed, too ashamed” to make a complaint.
The second alleged victim, who met Spacey at a charity event in London in 2005, said Spacey made many inappropriate comments and said sexual things to him out of the earshot of others, before allegedly grabbing his penis with “such force it was painful”.
The alleged victim said he told a friend about it around a week later, but told no one else.
Claims of unwanted sex act, advances and groping
The third alleged victim, who said he successfully auditioned for a show being put on at the Old Vic Theatre and later approached Spacey as a mentor, described going for a drink at his flat.
He said he woke up to find Spacey allegedly carrying out an unwanted act of oral sex.
He said Spacey told him not to mention what had happened or that he had been to his flat, and added he left in shock, later crying at a bus stop.
The fourth alleged victim, who met Spacey in a village pub in late 2017 when the actor came in with his dog, said that after inviting him and a friend back to the expensive house in which he was staying, Spacey kissed his neck and grabbed his crotch.
He said he left the house in “a panicky state” and called his father to tell him what had happened.
The men were all in their 20s to early 30s when the alleged assaults took place and all the alleged incidents are said to have happened between 2001 and 2013 – a time when Spacey was working and living mainly in the UK.
Prosecution: Spacey ‘took what and who he wanted’
The prosecution said Spacey would claim some of the allegations were “made up” and that others were “consensual”.
She also told the jury it would be their job to decide whether the alleged victims were either “courageous” in coming forward now, or “lying” in order to benefit financially.
Ms Agnew concluded: “Kevin Spacey Fowler abused the power and influence that his reputation and fame afforded him; taking advantage of his popularity and prominence, his illustriousness and influence.
“Taking what and who he wanted when he wanted.”
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What is Kevin Spacey accused of?
Defence warns jury to expect ‘damned lies’
Meanwhile, in a brief statement, the defence – led by Patrick Gibbs – said Spacey had returned to the UK to answer the allegations against him, and “say in full in due course what actually happened”.
He warned the jury they would hear “some truths,” “some half-truths,” “some deliberate exaggerations” and “many damned lies” during evidence.
Spacey is facing 12 charges – all of which he denies.
They are: four counts of sexual assault; three counts of indecent assault; three counts of sexual assault; one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity.
This last charge is the most serious, and carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
The case will continue at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Monday, with the full trial set to last around four weeks.
Spacey has been granted unconditional bail.
UK
Zhenhao Zou: More than 20 new potential victims come forward after ‘prolific’ rapist jailed for assaulting 10 women
Another 23 female potential victims have reported that they may have been raped by Zhenhao Zou – the Chinese PhD student detectives believe may be one of the country’s most prolific sex offenders.
The Metropolitan Police launched an international appeal after Zou, 28, was convicted of drugging and raping 10 women following a trial at the Inner London Crown Court last month.
Detectives have not confirmed whether the 23 people who have come forward add to their estimates that more than 50 other women worldwide may have been targeted by the University College London student.
Metropolitan Police commander Kevin Southworth said: “We have victims reaching out to us from different parts of the globe.
“At the moment, the primary places where we believe offending may have occurred at this time appears to be both in England, here in London, and over in China.”
Metropolitan Police commander Kevin Southworth
Zou lived in a student flat in Woburn Place, near Russell Square in central London, and later in a flat in the Uncle building in Churchyard Row in Elephant and Castle, south London.
Read more: How a student described as ‘smart and charming’ was unmasked as a prolific sexual predator
He had also been a student at Queen’s University Belfast, where he studied mechanical engineering from 2017 until 2019. Police say they have not had any reports from Belfast but added they were “open-minded about that”.
“Given how active and prolific Zou appears to have been with his awful offending, there is every prospect that he could have offended anywhere in the world,” Mr Southworth said.
“We wouldn’t want anyone to write off the fact they may have been a victim of his behaviour simply by virtue of the fact that you are from a certain place.
“The bottom line is, if you think you may have been affected by Zhenhao Zou or someone you know may have been, please don’t hold back. Please make contact with us.”
Pic: Met Police
Zou used hidden or handheld cameras to record his attacks, and kept the footage and often the women’s belongings as souvenirs.
He targeted young, Chinese women, inviting them to his flat for drinks or to study, before drugging and assaulting them.
Zou was convicted of 11 counts of rape, with two of the offences relating to one victim, as well as three counts of voyeurism, 10 counts of possession of an extreme pornographic image, one count of false imprisonment and three counts of possession of a controlled drug with intent to commit a sexual offence, namely butanediol.
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Moment police arrest rapist student
Mr Southworth said: “Of those 10 victims, several were not identified so as we could be sure exactly where in the world they were, but their cases, nevertheless, were sufficient to see convictions at court.
“There were also, at the time, 50 videos that were identified of further potential female victims of Zhenhao Zou’s awful crimes.
“We are still working to identify all of those women in those videos.
“We have now, thankfully, had 23 victim survivors come forward through the appeal that we’ve conducted, some of whom may be identical with some of the females that we saw in those videos, some of whom may even turn out to be from the original indicted cases.”
Mr Southworth added: “Ultimately, now it’s the investigation team’s job to professionally pick our way through those individual pieces of evidence, those individual victims’ stories, to see if we can identify who may have been a victim, when and where, so then we can bring Zou to justice for the full extent of his crimes.”
Mr Southworth said more resources will be put into the investigation, and that detectives are looking to understand “what may have happened without wishing to revisit the trauma, but in a way that enables [the potential victims] to give evidence in the best possible way.”
The Metropolitan Police is appealing to anyone who thinks they may have been targeted by Zou to contact the force either by emailing survivors@met.police.uk, or via the major incident public portal on the force’s website.
An 11-year-old girl who went missing after entering the River Thames has been named as Kaliyah Coa.
An “extensive search” has been carried out after the incident in east London at around 1.30pm on Monday.
Police said the child had been playing during a school inset day and entered the water near Barge House Causeway, North Woolwich.
A recovery mission is now said to be under way to find Kaliyah along the Thames, with the Metropolitan Police carrying out an extensive examination of the area.
Barge House Causeway is a concrete slope in North Woolwich leading into the Thames
Chief Superintendent Dan Card thanked members of the public and emergency teams who responded to “carry out a large-scale search during a highly pressurised and distressing time”.
He also confirmed drone technology and boats were being used to “conduct a thorough search over a wide area”.
He added: “Our specialist officers are supporting Kaliyah’s family through this deeply upsetting time and our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened.”
“Equally we appreciate this has affected the wider community who have been extremely supportive. You will see extra officers in the area during the coming days.”
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On Monday, Kerry Benadjaoud, a 62-year-old resident from the area, said she heard of the incident from her next-door neighbour, who “was outside doing her garden and there was two little kids running, and they said ‘my friend’s in the water'”.
When she arrived at the scene with a life ring, a man told her he had called the police, “but he said at the time he could see her hands going down”.
Barge House Causeway is a concrete slope that goes directly into the River Thames and is used to transport boats.
Residents pointed out that it appeared to be covered in moss and was slippery.
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