Actor Kevin Spacey has been cleared of all charges in his sexual assault trial in London. A jury on 26 July acquitted the actor of nine sexual offence charges relating to four men that were alleged to have occurred between 2001 and 2013.
Spacey thanked the jurors at Southwark Crown Court after more than 12 hours of deliberations, as per a report by the BBC. The two-time Oscar-winning actor told the press that he was "grateful and humble".
According to reports, Spacey was cleared of seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The actor was accused by the prosecution of being a "sexual bully" who revelled in making other people uncomfortable, including by forcibly groping men's crotches.
Spacey referred to the charges as "madness" and a "stab in the back".
Addressing the press stationed outside the court, Spacey said, "I would like to say that I am enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached their decision.
"I am humbled by the outcome today. I also want to thank the staff inside this courthouse, the security, and all of those who took care of us every single day," he added.
The four accused victims, who cannot be identified legally, also spoke before the court.
Following a trial that lasted several weeks and saw British music icon Elton John testifying as a witness for Spacey, the jury began deliberating its conclusions on July 24.
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