Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Thursday it had authorized criminal charges against actor Kevin Spacey for four counts of sexual assault against three men.

The US actor is a two-time Oscar winner for the films "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty." He was artistic director of The Old Vic Theatre in London between 2004 and 2015.

Rosemary Ainslie, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, announced the charges in a formal statement.

"He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The charges follow a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation," she said.

Allegations began during #metoo

Spacey is under investigation for alleged incidents that took place in London between March 2005 and August 2008, and in western England in April 2013.

The 62-year-old had been questioned by British police in 2019.

Spacey was one of the high-profile figures accused of sexual assault during the #metoo movement that swept the movie industry.

The actor's career came to an abrupt halt in 2017 when he was accused by fellow actor Anthony Rapp, who said Spacey assaulted him at a party in the 1980s, when Rapp was a teenager.

Spacey has denied the allegations against him.

jcg/rt (Reuters, AP, dpa)