Actor Gary Busey has been charged with sexual offenses after he appeared as a guest at a convention for horror films and memorabilia that took place earlier this month, police said.
Busey, 78, was widely promoted as one of many featured guests attending the convention known as the Monster Mania Convention, which was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Cherry Hill, N.J., from Aug. 12 to 14.
Cherry Hill police confirmed in a statement Saturday that Busey had been charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment.
“It was about contact. It was about touching.” Cherry Hill police lieutenant Robert Scheunemann told the Philadelphia Inquirer, adding that it received “multiple complaints” about the actor’s behavior.
Monster Mania allows fans to meet the stars of their favorite films, pose for photos and purchase merchandise.
Police said that during the weekend of the event they responded to a sexual offense report which led investigators to charge Busey, of Malibu, Calif., on Aug. 19. Police said the investigation is ongoing and have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
“Monster-Mania is assisting authorities in their investigation into an alleged incident involving attendees and a celebrity guest at its convention in Cherry Hill, New Jersey last weekend,” the convention said in a Facebook post. “Immediately upon receiving a complaint from the attendees, the celebrity guest was removed from the convention and instructed not to return. Monster-Mania also encouraged the attendees to contact the police to file a report.”
“The safety and well-being of all our attendees is of the utmost importance to Monster-Mania, and the company will not tolerate any behavior that could compromise those values,” it continued.
Busey has starred in more than 150 movies including “Point Break,” “Under Siege,” “Lethal Weapon” and the 1978 film “The Buddy Holly Story,” which earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor.
In 1988, the actor was left with severe brain damage following a motorcycle accident. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident, which he told the Guardian split his skull and led him to briefly die and come back to life after brain surgery.
A representative for Busey could not immediately be reached for comment early Sunday morning.
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