Rex Orange County has shared a statement saying all charges against him in a sexual assault case have been dropped.
In October, the musician – real name Alex O’Connor – was charged with six counts of sexually assaulting a woman in London, pleading not guilty to all charges at Southwark Crown Court.
As first reported in The Sun, the musician was accused of assaulting the woman on six occasions between June 1 and 2. He allegedly assaulted the woman twice in London’s West End, once in a taxi, and three times at his home in Notting Hill, according to the outlet. He was set to provisionally face trial on January 3, 2023.
Now, in a statement posted today (December 22), O’Connor revealed that all charges have been dropped.
“Today, all charges against me have been dropped,” he said. “The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial. I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing. I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behaviour of any kind.”
O’Connor added: “ I would like 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. That led to six 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.
“It’s been a difficult time for everyone involved and I’d like to thank the people who have helped me through it as well as my family and loved ones for their continued support.”
When contacted by NME, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that all charges against O’Connor have been dropped.
A spokesperson said: “CPS prosecutors have a duty to keep each case under review. Having carefully considered all the evidence, our legal test for a prosecution was no longer met and so we will not be continuing a prosecution.
“We will always seek to prosecute sexual offences, where our legal test is met, no matter how challenging.”
— rex orange county (@rexorangecounty) December 22, 2022
At the time of the charges being made, a representative for the musician told Pitchfork: “Alex is shocked by the allegations which he denies and looks forward to clearing his name in court. He is unable to make any further comment because of the ongoing proceedings.”
O’Connor was released on unconditional bail following the appearance in court in October.
Back in July, he cancelled a string of tour dates due to “unforeseen personal circumstances.” There was no mention of the case at the time.
“I am having to spend some time at home this year and I will not able to continue touring as planned,” he wrote in a statement shared to social media.
The post All charges dropped against Rex Orange County in sexual assault case appeared first on NME.
source https://www.nme.com/news/music/all-charges-dropped-against-rex-orange-county-in-sexual-assault-case-3370635?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=all-charges-dropped-against-rex-orange-county-in-sexual-assault-case
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