Actor Gary Busey has pleaded guilty to criminal sexual misconduct.
Busey, 81, has admitted that he purposely touched a woman inappropriately at a horror film convention in New Jersey in 2022, charges he previously denied.
The Point Break actor told the judge, ‘It was not an accidental touching,’ according to The Guardian.
Prosecutors have now agreed to dismiss three other counts of criminal sexual contact as well as one count of attempted criminal sexual contact, in exchange for Busey’s guilty plea.
The charges relate to incidents at the Monster-Mania convention, held from August 12 to 14, 2022, at a DoubleTree Hilton hotel in Cherry Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia.
Five women accused Busey of inappropriate touching during photo opportunities at the event.
According to authorities, Busey allegedly grabbed the buttocks of two women and attempted to unhook a third woman’s bra while putting his face near her breasts, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The case garnered renewed attention this week after Busey’s attorney, Blair Zwillman, attempted to have the indictment dismissed.
Zwillman argued that law enforcement had conducted a ‘faulty’ investigation and failed to interview potentially relevant witnesses.
However, Camden County prosecutor Keith Carmy countered that extensive witness testimony had already been presented to the grand jury and that there was no evidence to suggest exculpatory material had been withheld.
Judge Gwendolyn Blue ultimately denied the motion to dismiss. Following Busey’s guilty plea, she tentatively scheduled a virtual sentencing hearing for September 18.
Busey reportedly had difficulty hearing during the court proceedings despite wearing a hearing aid.
He now faces a sentence that may include one to five years of probation, financial penalties, and the mandatory submission of a DNA sample.
The actor initially denied any wrongdoing.
‘None of that happened,’ he told TMZ. ‘It was a partner, a camera lady and me, and two girls … it took less than 10 seconds, and they left. Then they made up a story that I assaulted them sexually and I did not. Nothing happened, it’s all false.’
While Busey is often remembered for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of rock-and-roll pioneer Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story (1978), his later career has been overshadowed by troubling legal and personal issues.
He has amassed over 100 credits in film and television, frequently appearing in offbeat or villainous roles in films such as Lethal Weapon, Point Break, and Under Siege.
This is not Busey’s first run-in with the law. In 1995, he was hospitalized following a near-fatal cocaine overdose and was subsequently charged with drug offenses.
He has also faced previous allegations of spousal abuse, and during the 2011 season of Celebrity Apprentice, a female employee accused him of sexual assault.
The actor has not made a public statement since entering his plea.
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