Gary Busey was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty in July to inappropriately touching a woman at a 2022 horror movie convention.
Busey, 81, received his sentence for the sex crime on Thursday, September 18, according to court records.
“Mr. Busey is pleased that the case has been resolved and that he can go on with his life without any continuing, daily public adversity,” Blair Zwillman, his lawyer, said on Saturday, September 20.
The sentencing comes after a three-year case, which involved several women who accused the actor of misconduct and harassment at Monster-Mania Con in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, in August 2022.
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The actor was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact, one count of criminal attempt/criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment after he allegedly touched two fans inappropriately — including grabbing their buttocks and attempting to unhook one woman’s bra.
At the time, Busey denied the allegations to TMZ, claiming “nothing happened” and he didn’t have “any regrets” about the way he acted at the convention. Cherry Hill Township Police Lieutenant Robert Scheunemann, however, told the Philadelphia Inquirer in August 2022 that authorities received “multiple complaints” about Busey’s conduct at the convention.
In July, the California-based actor pleaded guilty to a count that Zwillman said was connected to “touching the buttocks of a female over the clothing.” He had faced a maximum sentence of five years probation and a $500 fine, but the shorter sentence gave him the opportunity to seek early termination after one year, Zwillman said.
As part of the sentence, the judge also barred Busey from having any contact with the victim, ABC6 reported.
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In 1988, Busey sustained a traumatic brain injury in a motorcycle accident, which he had a 2 percent chance of surviving, he said during an appearance on Dr. Phil in 2018. He has also publicly battled substance abuse issues and appeared on the reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008.
He is the father of son Jake, 54, and daughter Alectra, 31, from previous relationships, and shares son Luke, 15, with former partner Steffanie Sampson.
