US prosecutors drop Kevin Spacey case

US prosecutors have dropped against actor Kevin Spacey who stood accused of groping a young man at a bar in 2016, “due to an unavailability of the complaining witness.”

The House of Cards star was charged with indecent assault and battery last year in the only criminal case that has been brought against the actor since his career collapsed amid a slew of sexual misconduct allegations.

Spacey denies groping the man, whose mother first went public with the allegations in 2017.

The actor’s accuser had been ordered to take the stand but said he lost the cellphone which the defence sought to recover deleted text messages.

He had also dropped a civil case against Spacey seeking damages for “severe and permanent mental distress and emotional injuries.”

His mother said her son did not receive a settlement to drop the civil case, but because he was emotionally overwhelmed and wanted to focus on the criminal case.

But Spacey, whose career has flatlined following a string of allegations, has faced several other accusations including in the UK. He was questioned by officers from Scotland Yard in May. That investigation continues.

Spacey said he did not remember an incident surrounding actor Anthony Rapp who was a minor at the time of his alleged incident such an encounter but apologised if it was true.

Source: Time