U.K. police investigating second Spacey sex assault claim

Police in London are investigating a second allegation of sexual assault against actor Kevin Spacey, British media reported Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police force said it had received a complaint “of sexual assaults against a man” in 2005 in the London borough of Lambeth.

The force didn’t identify Spacey as the alleged perpetrator. British police don’t name suspects until they are charged.

But it said the same man was accused Nov. 1 of another assault in 2008, also in Lambeth. The suspect in that case has been widely named in British media as Spacey.

“Officers from the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command are investigating,” the force said in a statement.

A two-time Academy Award winner, Spacey was artistic director of London’s Old Vic Theatre between 2004 and 2015.

The new allegation was made to police a day after the Old Vic said it had received 20 claims of inappropriate behaviour by Spacey and it had encouraged 14 of the complainants to go to the police.

The theatre launched an investigation into its former leader last month after American actor Anthony Rapp alleged that Spacey had climbed on top of him on a bed when Rapp was 14 and Spacey 26.

The Old Vic said it received the claims of inappropriate behaviour in recent weeks, although the alleged incidents were said to have taken place from 1995 to 2013.