Kevin Spacey faces mounting sex assault claims

Officers from Scotland Yard are looking into allegations a man was sexually assaulted by Kevin Spacey in London, British media outlets reported on Friday.

The Metropolitan Police did not identify the Oscar-winning actor by name, but confirmed in a statement that the child abuse and sexual offenses unit was investigating claims that "a man assaulted another man in 2008 in Lambeth."

The statement stressed that police do not identify people who may be under investigation unless they have been charged.

Read more: Hollywood sexual harassment scandal widens with further accusations

'Don't tell anyone'

British media, however, have named 58-year-old Spacey — who was the artistic director of Lambeth's Old Vic Theater from 2004 to 2015 — as the subject of the investigation. 

The Sun tabloid newspaper reported that the alleged victim, a British actor who was 23-years-old at the time, woke up to find Spacey performing a sex act on him at the star's London home. According to the report, the man fled the address after Spacey told him "not to tell anyone about it."

Spacey has not been arrested or charged with any crime, but in recent days a number of men have come forward accusing the star of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

Read more: The Harvey Weinstein effect

Mounting scandal

On Thursday, US media reported that a former production assistant for the Netflix political drama "House of Cards" had accused Spacey of sexual assault. Eight of the show's current crew members told CNN the actor typically harassed young men on set, often with nonconsensual touching and crude remarks. The eight staffers said Spacey made the set a "toxic" workplace with his "predatory" behavior.

In light of the allegations, Netflix has suspended "House of Cards" production indefinitely and announced that the upcoming sixth season of the show would be its last.

As the fallout widens, Dutch bank ING on Friday said it had canceled a scheduled appearance by Spacey at a business conference in Rotterdam on November 29, saying it "was no longer desirable to have him speak at the event."

Read more: The social psychology of sexual violence

Unwanted sexual advances

The harassment and assault claims came after US actor Anthony Rapp told Buzzfeed on the weekend that Spacey made unwanted sexual advances toward him in 1986, when Rapp was 14.

Spacey apologized and said he was "beyond horrified," but denied any memory of the alleged encounter.

Then on Monday, Mexican actor Robert Cavazos said Spacey groped him in the Old Vic's bar. Filmmaker Tony Montana also alleged Spacey had grabbed his crotch in a Los Angeles bar.

A representative for the actor said Spacey was "taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment" following the allegations about his behavior.

nm/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)