Game of Thrones actor appears in court charged with child sex offences
Joseph Gatt has appeared in a Los Angeles court after allegedly taking part in explicit conversations online with a minor.
The Game of Thrones actor was initially arrested in April 2022 after police turned up at his property with a search warrant. On Monday, the Brit, 51, was in the courtroom along with his actress girlfriend Mercy Malick.
His previous charge saw him charged with "contact with a minor for sexual offence". He was also charged with felony possession of an assault weapon. He pleaded not guilty to both charges at the time.
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Gatt denies the charges (Getty Images)
The actor is known for his role on shows such as Game of Thrones (Getty Images)Gatt had been on bail since his arrest and turned up at court in a black shirt and brown trousers. Reports say he appeared sombre. His bail had been set at $5,000.
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The judge in the case, Judge Enrique Monguia, announced the hearing would reconvene in December to allow prosecutors more time for "additional discovery".
Gatt is said to have first been investigated following a tip about his alleged online activities. The LAPD's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are said to have looked into the allegations prior to the charge.
KTLA reports that police investigating the case discovered he had an outstanding felony warring for a similar offence involving a minor.
As part of Gatt's bail conditions, the London-born actor was banned from unsupervised time with minors, possessing pornography, and using social media except for work purposes.
Taking to social media to deny the charges following his arrest, he wrote on Twitter : "I obviously want to address the absolutely horrifying and completely untrue allegations recently levelled against me. They are 100% categorically wrong and reckless.
"I have confirmed errors and misleading information in today's press release. I am fully cooperating with police and LAPD to get to the bottom of this. I look forward to clearing my good name."
Gatt is best known for his role as Thenn Warg on Game of Thrones. He has also appeared on hit shows including Teen Wolf, The 100 and Banshee, while he has movie credits on the likes of Thor and Star Trek Into Darkness.
If you need help in the UK in regards to a child abuse issue, call the NSPCC on 020 7825 2505 (Monday to Friday) from 9am–5pm. If you think a child is at immediate risk of harm, please call the police on 999. If you’re in the US call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline on (800) 422-4453.
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