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Actor Gary Busey has been charged with sex crimes after he appeared as a guest at a horror movie and memorabilia convention earlier this month, police said.
Busey, 78, was widely touted as one of many high-profile guests attending the Monster Mania Convention, which was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Cherry Hill, NJ, from August 12-14 .
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 stalking.
“It was about contact. It was about touching.” Cherry Hill Police Lt. Robert Scheunemann told the Philadelphia Inquirer, adding that he received “multiple complaints” about the actor’s behavior.
Monster Mania allows fans to meet the stars of their favorite movies, pose for photos and purchase merchandise.
Police said during the weekend of the event they responded to a sexual assault report that led investigators to charge Busey, of Malibu, Calif., on Aug. 19.
“Monster-Mania is assisting authorities in their investigation into an alleged incident involving attendees and a celebrity guest at their convention in Cherry Hill, New Jersey last weekend,” the convention said in a Facebook post. . “Immediately after receiving a complaint from attendees, the celebrity guest was removed from the convention and ordered not to return. Monster-Mania also encouraged attendees to contact the police to file a complaint.”
“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,” he continued.
Busey has starred in more than 150 films, including Point Break, “Under Siege,” “Lethal Weapon” and the 1978 film “The Buddy Holly Story,” which earned him an Academy Award nomination for best actor
In 1988, the actor was left with severe brain damage after 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 to his brief death and subsequent brain surgery.
Representatives for Busey could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday morning.