Cherry Hill, N.J. — Actor Gary Busey was sentenced Thursday to two years of probation in a New Jersey court after pleading guilty to a single count of criminal sexual contact tied to a 2022 horror convention appearance, according to court records. The 81-year-old 'Buddy Holly' star had pleaded guilty in July to touching a woman's buttocks over clothing during an eight- to ten-second photo op at the Monster-Mania Convention at the Doubletree Hotel in Cherry Hill.
The sentence was handed down during a virtual hearing in state court in Camden. Busey did not speak during the hearing. Organizers of the Monster-Mania Convention acknowledged at the time that an unnamed celebrity guest was removed from the convention and instructed not to return, and affected attendees were encouraged to contact police.
Busey was initially charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment. The Monster-Mania appearance had been scheduled for all three days of the convention, held at the Doubletree Hotel in Cherry Hill, a South Jersey town and a suburb of Philadelphia.
The 81-year-old actor is widely known as a character actor and was nominated for an Oscar for best actor for The Buddy Holly Story (1978).