Sexual assault charges dropped against British singer Rex Orange County ahead of trial
Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images Rex Orange County appears on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert'
All six charges relating to sexual assault allegations against English singer-songwriter Rex Orange County have been dropped ahead of an upcoming trial, the musician announced on Thursday.
Rex Orange County, whose real name is Alexander O'Connor, released a statement across his social media channels, saying the Crown Prosecution Service "reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial." He further noted, "not guilty verdicts were entered to all the charges."
According to the BBC, the CPS confirmed the evidence "no longer met" its test for prosecution. EW has reached out to the CPS for comment.
"I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing," O'Connor wrote. "I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behavior of any kind."
The Sun originally reported that O'Connor was being accused of sexually assaulting a woman on six different occasions across London in June 2022: twice in the West End on June 1 and four times on June 2, including one instance in a taxi and three instances at the singer's home in Notting Hill. O'Connor pleaded not guilty and was released on unconditional bail. A provisional trial date had been set for Jan. 3.
O'Connor's reps told EW at the time that the singer was "shocked by the allegations" and denied committing these acts. "He is unable to make any further comment because of the ongoing proceedings," the reps continued.
With the charges now dropped, O'Connor said in his new statement released on Thursday that he wanted to "clarify some details around what I was accused of, as I have not been able to address this until now and inaccuracies about the case have circulated.
"I was wrongly accused of touching someone one evening on their leg, neck, back, and bottom," he wrote. "That led to 6 charges of sexual assault. The only evidence against me was the individual's account. However, CCTV footage obtained by the police contradicted their version of events. Their partner was also present throughout the evening in question and gave a statement to the police which did not support the allegations against me."
O'Connor went on to thank his family, loved ones, and "the people who have helped" him through what he called "a difficult time for everyone involved."
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