51 Famous People Charged With Sex Crimes
Several famous musicians, actors, and athletes have been charged with sex crimes. Some of these celebrities were the victims of false allegations, while others were found guilty of rape and molestation. Which famous people have been accused of sex crimes? Whether indecent exposure as part of a prank, or much more serious crimes that left a lasting effect on their victims, like sexual assault, these celebrities have all been accused of some kind of sex crime.
Who is the most famous person who was charged with a sex crime? Bill Cosby was one of the celebrities exposed. Dozens of women have accused the performer of drugging and assaulting them over the years.There are other celebs accused of sexual assault and reported to be predators, like Danny Masterson and Roman Polansky.Â
The Doors singer Jim Morrison, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, and many other musicians have all been charged with indecent exposure, as well as a few famous actors. In short, there's a surprising amount of celebrities accused of sexual assault and other similar crimes — just take a look below.
R. Kelly was charged with statutory rape and child pornography in 2002 after a video surfaced that appeared to show Kelly having sex and urinating on an underage girl. After several delays, Kelly was found not guilty in 2008.
In 2019, Kelly was charged with 10 counts of "aggravated criminal sexual [misconduct]" involving girls between the ages of 13 and 16. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx urged victims to come forward after a 2018 documentary, Surviving R. Kelly. At least two women reportedly responded.
In September 2021, R. Kelly was found guilty of racketeering, including acts of bribery and sexual exploitation of a child, along with separate sex trafficking charges.
Former Disney Channel star Kyle Massey was charged with a felony in June 2021 for allegedly sending pornographic photos to a 13-year-old girl. This is tied to his 2019 civil lawsuit, in which the child in question is sued him for $1.5 million for allegedly sending “numerous sexually explicit text messages, images, and videos” via Snapchat.
On June 23, 2020, adult film star Ron Jeremy was charged with three counts of rape by the Los Angeles District Attorney. In addition to being charged with raping three women, the 67-year-old was separately charged with the assault of a fourth. The assault allegedly took place in 2014, while the rapes were dated between 2017 and 2019.
Jeremy was set to be prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson. Thompson was also prosecuting Harvey Weinstein at the time. Jeremy has asserted his innocence on all counts.
In 2020, former That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson was charged with raping three women. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office announced that the crimes had occurred between 2001 and 2003, with the victims including two 23-year-olds and a 28-year old (at the time).
Masterson had been under investigation for sexual misconduct since 2016. The District Attorney’s office also mentioned in their statement that they declined to press charges against Masterson in another two cases (due to insufficient evidence).
In 2004, Bill Cosby was accused of sexual misconduct by 13 different women. The civil lawsuit claimed he drugged and sexually assaulted the women. Cosby settled with undisclosed terms.
In April 2018, Cosby was tried for the 2004 rape of a woman named Andrea Constand. He was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault and faces up to 10 years in prison.
In 2012, CeeLo Green was accused of sexually assaulting a woman whom he had eaten dinner with in Los Angeles. The LA District Attorney did not have enough evidence to bring rape charges, and Green was later charged with furnishing a controlled substance. He pled no contest to the drug charge.
In 2014, X-Men director Bryan Singer was accused of sexually abusing a male teenager. The accuser has since filed additional lawsuits against other prominent members of the entertainment industry. Singer was also charged with raping a 17-year-old boy in 2017; the incident allegedly occurred in 2003.
Musician Gary Glitter was convicted of child pornography in 1999 and child molestation in 2006 in Vietnam. He was subsequently imprisoned in the United Kingdom for offenses that occured in the 1970s.
In 1988, Sean Penn was charged with domestic violence for an incident involving his then-wife Madonna. Allegedly, Penn tied Madonna to a chair and gagged her before leaving the house to get alcohol. Madonna has since denied the reports of abuse, saying that the press exaggerated the story.
Brad Pitt was charged with indecent exposure in 1988 for an incident in which the Fight Club actor allegedly mooned drivers on the Pacific Coast Highway in California.
Director Roman Polanski was charged with statutory rape, sodomy, and child molestation after he had sexual relations with a 13-year-old girl. Most of the charges were dropped and Polanski pled guilty to statutory rape. The sentence was set to be probation, but when Polanski learned that the judge wanted to cause a media storm by sentencing him to jail time, he fled the United States.
Mike Tyson was convicted of a rape charge in 1992 after sexually assaulting 18-year-old Desiree Washington, who was the reigning Miss Black Rhode Island at the time. Tyson served three years in prison for the crime.
In 1969, Jim Morrison was arrested for indecent exposure after performing a concert in Miami with The Doors.
Writer Oscar Wilde was convicted of sodomy and indecent acts in 1895. He spent two years in prison.
Tupac Shakur was charged with sexual battery and sodomy in 1993. Shakur admitted to having consensual sexual relations with the woman who accused him of the assault and was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse.
Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was charged with indecent exposure after he dropped his pants while taking a bow at a 1990 concert. He was fined $1,647 for the incident.
Rapper Nelly was arrested in October 2017 while on tour in Washington state. He was booked for second-degree rape following an encounter that allegedly took place on his tour bus. Nelly was quickly released, and tweeted that he is "completely innocent."
Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis was charged with indecent exposure and sexual battery after performing a concert in 1989.
Marilyn Manson was charged with sexual misconduct in 2001 by a male security officer. The charges were later reduced to disorderly conduct and Manson paid a fine of $4,000.
In 1991, Paul Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure while he was at an adult movie theater. In 2003, Reubens was charged with child pornography, but the charge was later reduced to obscenity.
In 1993, former professional wrestler Jerry Lawler was charged with rape and sodomy of a 13-year-old girl. The charges were later dropped when the accuser admitted that she made up the story.
Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong was arrested for indecent exposure in 1995.
NFL player Jim Brown was charged with rape and sexual assault in 1985. The charges were later dropped.
Woody Allen has been suspected of having sexual relations with minors since 1992, when Allen was found with nude photos of his partner Mia Farrow's 20-year-old adopted daughter, Soon-Yi. Allen and Soon-Yi were married in 1997. In 2014, Allen's adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, accused Allen of sexual assault. The accusations were examined in depth in the 2021 documentary Allen v. Farrow.
In 2009, a cruise ship worker claimed that John Travolta sexually assaulted him. The man says that Travolta exposed himself during a neck massage and later offered the man $12,000 to keep quiet. Travolta denies all allegations.
