This story originally reported by Jax Miller at Oxygene.com.
An actor who appeared on The iron Throne was arrested in Los Angeles for an alleged sexual offense against a minor.
Joseph Gatt, 50, was arrested April 6 at his Los Angeles residence after authorities received a tip that he was having sexually inappropriate correspondence with a minor on the Internet, the LAPD announced Tuesday. At around 4:45 a.m., detectives from the LAPD Juvenile Division and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force served him with a warrant to search his home.
Gatt was arrested and charged with “contact with a minor for a sexual offence,” according to the press release.
Jail records of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department show, Gatt was released the same day after posting $5,000 bond.
On Wednesday, the British actor – known for playing Thenn Warg on the hit HBO series – addressed the charges against his Instagram page.
“Obviously I want to respond to the absolutely horrific and completely false allegations recently made against me,” Gatt said. “They are 100% categorically wrong and reckless. I have confirmed the errors and misleading information in today’s press release.
“I’m fully cooperating with the police and the LAPD to get to the bottom of this,” the actor continued. “I can’t wait to clear my reputation.”
More than 100 federal and local affiliate agencies make up the ICAC task force, which aims to investigate online predators who engage in illicit sexual communications with children, the statement said. The unit, in alliance with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), also manages the digital transfer of sexually abusive material involving minors.
The LAPD did not provide further details about the crimes for which Gatt is charged. authorities said they were investigating the possibility of other alleged victims.
“Thank you to all my friends and supporters who know this is wrong,” Gatt concluded in his post. “And understand, for legal reasons, I can’t comment further on social media.”
The London-born actor’s credits include Dumbo, Star Trek: Into the Darknessand Thoraccording to his IMDb page.
Police said the investigation was ongoing and appealed to the public to find more possible victims.
The LAPD is asking anyone with information to contact Detective Denos Amarantos at 562-624-4027 or 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Alternatively, you can leave an anonymous tip at the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-222-8477).
Requests for comment to Gatt’s talent agent were not immediately returned.
Comments are closed.