Actor Gary Busey pleaded guilty to a sex crime charge Thursday in connection to a 2022 incident at a horror movie convention in New Jersey.
Busey, 81, pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact after admitting to intentionally touching a woman inappropriately at the Monster-Mania Convention at the Doubletree Hotel in Cherry Hill on Aug. 13, 2022.
“It was not an accidental touching,” Busey told the judge during a Zoom hearing published by CourtTV.
Busey had initially been charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment. The actor was accused of groping at least three women during photo-ops at the convention and attempting to remove one’s bra.
As the result of a plea agreement, three of those charges were dropped. For the one remaining count of criminal sexual contact, Busey now faces between one and five years of probation, as well as fines. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 18.
Prior to Busey entering his guilty plea, his defense attorney had attempted to get the indictment dismissed, claiming that police failed to question certain witnesses. A just denied that motion, confirming that witness testimony had been gathered and properly presented to the grand jury.
Busey has appeared in more than 150 movies. He was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for “The Buddy Holly Story” and later starred in action movies like “Lethal Weapon,” “Point Break” and “Under Siege.” He went on to appear on a number of reality shows, including “The Surreal Life” and “I’m With Busey.”
In 1988, he suffered a fractured skull in a near-fatal motorcycle accident that left him with permanent brain damage.
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