US mom says Spacey assaulted son, police investigating

Former Boston news anchor Heather Unruh sits with her attorney Mitchell Garabedian at a press conference in Boston November 8, 2017 during which she accused actor Kevin Spacey of allegedly sexually abusing her son in July 2016 at the Club Carr restaurant on Nantucket Island. AFP PHOTO

NEW YORK, United States — A Massachusetts mother on Wednesday accused Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting her 18-year-old son on the holiday island of Nantucket last year and said police had opened a criminal investigation.

Former television news anchor Heather Unruh told a news conference in Boston that the double Oscar winner assaulted the teen after plying him with alcohol late at night in a Nantucket bar in July 2016.

Police told AFP that they could not confirm or deny any such report was filed. “Reports of sexual assaults are confidential under Massachusetts General Law,” a spokesperson for the police department said.

Unruh described her son at the time as a “star-struck, straight” 18-year-old.

“Kevin Spacey bought him drink after drink after drink, and when my son was drunk, Spacey made his move and sexually assaulted him,” she told a news conference in Boston.

“Spacey stuck his hand inside my son’s pants and grabbed his genitals,” Unruh said. Her intoxicated son, whom she did not name, panicked and froze.

When the “House of Cards” star left briefly to use the bathroom, he allegedly fled to his grandmother’s house, where he allegedly told his sister what had happened.

“Last week my son filed a police report and handed over evidence, and now a criminal investigation has begun,” Unruh told reporters.

The scores of women who have accused Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, and actor Anthony Rapp levelling the first public accusations against Spacey had motivated them to speak publicly now, Unruh said.

“I want to see Kevin Spacey go to jail,” she said. “Not just for my son but for the many others,” she added.

Unruh said her son did not report the incident at the time “largely because of embarrassment and fear.”

The family lawyer also told reporters Wednesday that his client had spoken to Nantucket police, who were investigating.

Unruh previously alleged via Twitter on October 13 that Spacey had “assaulted a loved one,” but had not previously identified that person as her son.

Netflix late week dropped Spacey, its star actor on hit series “House of Cards” whose career is in free-fall over spiraling assault accusations. According to British media, London police are also investigating him for an alleged assault in 2008.

He has been publicly accused of attempting to rape a 15-year-old boy in New York and of making advances on actor Anthony Rapp when he was 14 years old, 31 years ago. /cbb