Prosecutors reject sexual abuse cases involving Kevin Spacey, Steven Seagal
Los Angeles prosecutors said on Tuesday they did not plan to file sexual assault charges in three separate cases targeting actors Kevin Spacey, Steven Seagal and Anthony Anderson.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office told AFP that the cases involving Spacey and Seagal were not being pursued because the statute of limitations had run out while the case against Anderson was being dropped because the victim had declined to be interviewed by police.
Spacey, who lost his role in the hit series "House of Cards" following sexual misconduct charges against him in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, had been accused of sexually assaulting an unidentified acquaintance in 1992.
"The allegation is outside the statute of limitations, therefore, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence is not warranted and prosecution is declined," the prosecutor's office said.
The case for the action-movie star Seagal, who was accused of assaulting an 18-year-old acquaintance in 1993, was also abandoned on the same grounds.
"Black-ish" star Anderson was accused of sexually assaulting a woman earlier this spring but the alleged victim "has declined to be interviewed by the investigating officer," the prosecutor's office said.
The woman had told police that the assault took place at an event the actor had hosted. He has denied the claim.
Spacey and Seagal are facing potential charges in other cases currently under investigation.
Spacey is also under investigation for sexual misconduct in London.
Seagal has denied the accusations against him.
Spacey's publicist in November said the two-time Oscar winner, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen men and boys, was "taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment."