“I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behavior of any kind,” he wrote. In October, 24-year-old O’Connor was charged with six counts of sexual assault, reported to have taken place across two days in June 2021. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail with the trial set to take place in January. O’Connor claimed in his statement that he “was wrongly accused of touching someone one evening on their leg, neck, back, and bottom,” adding that security footage and the woman’s partner both supported his innocence. Police did not comment on the specifics of the charges but told NME, “Having carefully considered all the evidence, our legal test for a prosecution was no longer met and so we will not be continuing a prosecution.”
However, on Thursday, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that the evidence "no longer met" its test for prosecution.
O'Connor, who denied the allegations, shared a statement on Instagram, which read: "Today, all charges against me have been dropped. The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial, not guilty verdicts were entered to all the charges.
"I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing. I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behaviour of any kind."
He went on to explain that CCTV footage and a witness statement helped prove his version of events.
"The only evidence against me was the individual's account," he added. "However, CCTV footage obtained by the police contradicted their version of events. Their partner was also present throughout the evening in question and gave a statement to the police, which did not support the allegations against me."
In his statement, O’Connor noted that he “always denied these allegations”, saying: “I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behaviour of any kind.”
He said that “CCTV footage obtained by the police contradicted” his accuser’s account of events, and that his accuser’s partner gave a statement to police that “did not support” the allegations.
“It’s been a difficult time for everyone involved and I’d like to thank the people who have helped me through it,” he wrote, “as well as my family and loved ones for their continued support.”
The case had been set to go to trial on 3 January 2023. Earlier this year, O’Connor cancelled a series of tour dates in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, citing “unforeseen personal circumstances” that meant he was not “able to continue with touring as planned.”
O’Connor rose to fame after self-releasing music on Bandcamp and Soundcloud. His early recordings caught the attention of American rapper Tyler, the Creator, who flew him to Los Angeles to work on his breakout fourth album Flower Boy. O’Connor was the runner-up in BBC’s Sound of 2018 poll, and has collaborated with Randy Newman, Chance the Rapper and Daniel Caesar.
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