Kevin Spacey not guilty of sexual assault, U.K. court finds

A jury in London on Wednesday found actor Kevin Spacey not guilty of sexually assaulting four men.

The high-profile case has been running for almost four weeks in the British capital, with Spacey, 64, and all four of his accusers testifying.

The actor, who wept after the verdict was delivered, had pleaded not guilty to all nine charges, which include sexual assault and relate to allegations by four men going back two decades.

The jury of three women and nine men had been unable to reach a verdict Monday afternoon after retiring to begin their deliberations, adjourning at the end of the day and returning Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

During the trial, prosecutor Christine Agnew characterized Spacey, who was identified in court by his full name, Kevin Spacey Fowler, as a “sexual bully” who aggressively grabbed men by the crotch and “delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable.”

None of the four complainants in the case can be named as they are afforded lifelong anonymity under English law. They each gave evidence, variously describing Spacey as “slippery,” a “vile sexual predator,” and “disgusting.”

Three said Spacey groped them; the fourth said Spacey performed oral sex on him while he was passed out in the actor’s apartment.

Spacey, who took the stand at London’s Southwark Crown Court earlier this month, described one of the men’s claims as “madness” and said another alleged assault was a “clumsy pass.” He contested the evidence of a third complainant, saying any “romantic” touching was consensual.

The actor, Spacey, who won Oscars for best actor in “American Beauty” in 1999, four years after he won best supporting actor for his role in “The Usual Suspects,” said he did perform oral sex on one of the accusers but said this too was consensual.

The charges dated from 2004 to 2013, at a time when Spacey worked as artistic director of London’s Old Vic Theatre. Spacey faced seven counts of sexual assault, one of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

Alexander Smith

Alexander Smith is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital based in London.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed.