In October, Rex Orange County (real name Alexander James O’Connor) was charged with six counts of sexual assault in the UK. At the time, a representative said, “[O’Connor] 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.”
Now, O’Connor has cleared his name in court and made further comment: Today (December 22), he revealed all charges against him have been dropped and offered some context about the situation.
In a written post shared on social media, O’Connor starts, “Today, all charges against me have been dropped. The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial, not guilty verdicts were entered to all the charges. 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.”
He goes on to note that he was “wrongly accused of touching someone one evening on their leg, neck, back, and bottom,” but that “CCTV footage obtained by the police contradicted their version of events.”
NME contacted Crown Prosecution Service and a spokesperson confirmed the charges have been dropped, saying, “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.”
Find O’Connor’s post below.
“Today, all charges against me have been dropped. The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial, not guilty verdicts were entered to all the charges. 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.
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 6 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.”