Actor Gary Busey, known for roles in films like "The Buddy Holly Story," has pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sexual contact stemming from an incident at the Monster-Mania Convention in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, in August 2022. The 81-year-old actor appeared virtually before Judge Gwendolyn Blue in Camden, where he admitted to inappropriately touching a woman during the convention. Busey confirmed to the judge that "It was not an accidental touching".
The charges arose from accusations that Busey groped multiple women while attending the horror film convention at the Doubletree Hotel in Cherry Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia, between August 12 and 14, 2022. Authorities stated that Busey grabbed the buttocks of two women and attempted to unlatch a third woman's bra after putting his face near her breasts. Organizers of the event acknowledged that an unnamed celebrity guest was "removed from the convention and instructed not to return" and encouraged affected attendees to contact the police. Busey had been scheduled to appear at the event for all three days.
As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss three other counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of attempted criminal sexual contact. Busey's attorney, Blair Zwillman, had initially argued for the indictment to be dismissed, claiming a "faulty" investigation and failure to question certain witnesses. However, Camden County Prosecutor Keith Carmy contended that no exculpatory evidence existed and that substantial witness testimony was presented to the grand jury. Judge Blue denied the motion to dismiss, citing case law and confirming that witness statements were properly presented to the grand jury.
Busey's manager, Ron Sampson, stated that the actor admitted to touching a woman's buttocks "over clothing during an 8-10 second photo op". Zwillman commented that Busey was "overcharged" due to his celebrity status and could have been charged with a disorderly persons offense of harassment by "offensive touching".
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Busey faces one to five years of probation and fines. Zwillman has requested that the sentence be limited to fines. Busey will also be required to submit a DNA sample and will have a criminal record as a result of the guilty plea. Judge Blue has tentatively scheduled a virtual sentencing hearing for September 18. During the virtual hearing on Thursday, Busey wore a hearing aid turned up "as loud as it will go" but still appeared to have difficulty hearing the proceedings.
