Gary Busey Charged With Sex Offenses After Horror Convention

Gary Busey has been charged with multiple sex offenses.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the 78-year-old actor is accused of groping at least two people during last week’s Monster-Mania Convention, a semi-annual New Jersey event that celebrates horror films and their stars. Social media posts show Busey meeting with fans during the convention held Aug. 12-14 at the Doubletree Hotel in Cherry Hill. Though the local police department has declined to provide details about the case, they confirmed it stemmed from “multiple complaints” throughout the three-day event, from which he was allegedly removed.

“It was about contact,” Cherry Hill Township Police Lt. Robert Scheunemann told the Inquirer. “It was about touching.”

After investigating the allegations, police charged Busey with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, one count of fourth-degree attempted sexual assault, and a single count of harassment. It’s unclear if Busey—a resident of Malibu, California—is still in New Jersey. 

CHPD confirmed the investigation is ongoing. Busey has yet to publicly respond to the charges.

A Monster-Mania Convention lawyer told the New York Times that the company is aiding authorities in the investigation after an “alleged incident involving attendees and a celebrity guest.”

“Immediately upon receiving a complaint from the attendees, the celebrity guest was removed from the convention and instructed not to return,” stated Nikitas Moustakas said. “Monster-Mania also encouraged the attendees to contact the police to file a report. 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.”

With 180 acting credits, Busey began his career in the 1960s and went on to appear in 1976’s A Star Is Born as well as Silver Bullet, Lethal Weapon, Point Break, Rookie of the Year, and many more. The Buddy Holly Story earned him a National Society of Film Critics award as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.