CAMDEN, N.J. (Court TV) — Actor Gary Busey has pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact stemming from an incident at a horror convention in New Jersey in 2022.
Gary Busey appears on Zoom during a hearing on July 31, 2025. (New Jersey Courts)
The 81-year-old actor entered his plea during a virtual court appearance before Judge Gwendolyn Blue, who had earlier denied a motion to dismiss the indictment against him.
Busey admitted to inappropriately touching a woman during the annual Monster Mania Convention at the Doubletree Hotel in Camden on August 13, 2022.
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“It was not an accidental touching,” Busey confirmed when questioned by the judge. Busey appeared to have difficulty hearing the proceedings despite wearing a hearing aid “as loud as it will go.”
Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will dismiss the remaining charges against Busey, which included three additional counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and one count of attempted fourth-degree criminal sexual contact. All the allegations accused Busey of inappropriate touching during photo shoots at the convention.
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During the morning session in court, Busey’s defense attorney, Blair Zwillman, had argued that the indictment should be dismissed, claiming the investigation was “faulty” and that police failed to question certain witnesses..
Prosecutor Keith Carmy countered that the evidence in question would not have been exculpatory to Busey and that the substance of witness testimony was indeed presented to the grand jury.
Judge Blue denied the motion to dismiss, citing case law and confirming that witness statements were properly presented to the grand jury.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Busey faces one to five years of probation and must pay fines; his attorney has asked for the only sentence to be fines. Busey will have a criminal record as a result of his guilty plea and will be required to submit a DNA sample.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 18 via Zoom.
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