Actor Gary Busey Placed on Probation Following Groping Plea

September 19, 2025 | 9:44 AM CDT

Actor Gary Busey has been sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to groping a woman at a horror convention in New Jersey in 2022. The 81-year-old admitted to criminal sexual contact during a photo session at the Monster Mania Convention in Cherry Hill, telling the court, “It was not an accidental touching,” according to Court TV.

Busey, best known for his roles in The Buddy Holly Story and Lethal Weapon, was initially charged with multiple counts, including attempted sexual contact and harassment, after at least three women accused him of inappropriate behavior at the event. Prosecutors agreed to drop three charges as part of a plea deal finalized in August, leaving a single fourth-degree count of criminal sexual contact.

At his sentencing hearing on Thursday, Busey appeared virtually from California. His attorney requested that he be fined rather than placed on probation, citing Busey’s mobility challenges and early-stage dementia. However, the judge imposed a two-year probation term, which Busey may be able to serve in California pending approval. He has 45 days to appeal the sentence.

Busey’s legal team had previously sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that investigators failed to interview all potential witnesses. The court denied that motion, determining that grand jury procedures were properly followed.

Busey, whose career spans over 150 films and numerous reality TV appearances, has long spoken about health struggles stemming from a traumatic brain injury sustained in a 1988 motorcycle crash.

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