Sexual assault charges against the musician Rex Orange County have been dropped, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced.
The 24-year-old, whose real name is Alexander O’Connor, from Surrey, had faced six counts of sexually assaulting a woman.
He shared the news on Instagram, saying the CPS had “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.
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“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 said he wanted to “clarify details” about the allegations.
“I was wrongly accused of touching someone one evening on their leg, neck, back, and bottom. That led to 6 charges of sexual assault,” he said.
“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.”
He thanked his family and others close to him for their “continued support”.
A CPS spokeswoman 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.”
During an appearance at London’s Southwark Crown Court in October, the musician pleaded not guilty and a provisional trial date was set for January 3rd, 2023.
In recent years he has collaborated with US rappers including Tyler, The Creator and in March earned his first UK number one album with his fourth studio album Who Cares?
In July, he cancelled a string of September and November shows scheduled for Australia, New Zealand and Europe due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.
In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
