Actor Kevin Spacey accused of sexually assaulting three men in the United Kingdom

Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect that Kevin Spacey has not been formally charged by the Crown Prosecution Service in the sexual assault of three men in the United Kingdom. The CPS amended its original statement to say that it authorized the charges against the actor and a spokesperson told the Washington Post that these charges can only be formalized if he is arrested in either England or Wales.

Actor Kevin Spacey is facing four counts of sexual assault against three men, United Kingdom officials announced on Thursday, May 26.

The authorization of charges were announced by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service. The alleged offenses against the “House of Cards” actor occurred from 2005 to 2013, officials said.

“The CPS has also authorized one charge of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent,” said Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division. “The authority to charge follows a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.”

The first two charges stem from accusations from one man in March 2005 in London, officials said. The third sexual assault charge is from 2008 in London and the fourth from 2013 in Gloucestershire.

In 2019, London Metropolitan Police said it was investigating sexual assault claims against Spacey, The Associated Press reported. He formerly ran the Old Vic Theatre in London from 2004 to 2015.

Spacey has previously been accused of sexual misconduct. In 2017, actor Anthony Rapp said Spacey made a sexual advance toward him when he was 14 and Spacey was 26, according to Rapp’s exclusive interview with Buzzfeed News.

Spacey later said on Twitter he did not remember the encounter.

“If I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him for all these years,” Spacey said.

Numerous other people alleged similar abuse against Spacey, prompting Netflix to remove the actor from “House of Cards,” in which he starred.

He was charged in 2018 with sexual assault in Massachusetts and the alleged victim later filed a civil lawsuit against Spacey, CNN reported. Spacey denied groping the the young man, and the charges and lawsuit were later dropped, according to The Associated Press.

Spacey was among the most high profile names in the #MeToo movement, which also involved Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein.

Spacey is two-time Academy Award winner, taking home honors for his roles in “American Beauty” (best actor) and “The Usual Suspects” (best supporting actor.) He has also starred in “L.A. Confidential,” “Se7en,” “21” and “Horrible Bosses” in his career that has spanned decades.