Actor Kevin Spacey due in London court charged with sex offences

LONDON: Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is due to appear in a London court on Thursday where he is expected to enter a plea to accusations of sex offences dating back almost 20 years.

Spacey is accused of five offences in Britain - four counts of sexual assault by touching, and a more serious charge of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Prosecutors say Spacey forced a man to have oral sex.

He made his first court appearance last month where his lawyer said the actor "strenuously" denied all the allegations. He was granted unconditional bail and on Thursday is due at London's Old Bailey central criminal court.

If found guilty of sexual assault, he could face a six-month prison sentence or an unlimited fine, while the other offence carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

Police said the alleged assaults occurred between March 2005 and April 2013 - four in the British capital and one in Gloucestershire in the west of England. They involved one man who is now in his 40s and two men now in their 30s.

Spacey, once one of Hollywood's biggest stars, has largely disappeared from public view since being accused of sexual misconduct five years ago.

The 62-year-old, who won Oscars for best actor in "American Beauty" and best supporting actor in "The Usual Suspects", was dropped from the TV show "House of Cards" and removed from the movie "All the Money in the World" after the accusations came to light.