BARBOUR: ‘POLICE ILLEGALLY TAPPED MY PHONE’
LATEST: Broadway star JAMES BARBOUR has called for a rape charge against him to be dropped after police illegally taped phone conversations he had with his alleged victim.
The 40-year-old actor, who played the role of BEAST in musical THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, insists California police were not given permission to record a phone conversation he had with the 15-year-old he is accused of sexually abusing on three separate occasions.
Barbour was in Los Angeles at the time of the call, and under Californian law, both parties must consent before a telephone conversation can be taped.
Lawyers acting on behalf of the star filed papers yesterday (07FEB07) asking a Manhattan judge to dismiss the case, with prosecutors given two weeks to issue a response, reports the New York Daily News.
Barbour pleaded not guilty to five counts of criminal sex acts against the teenager dating back to 2001 at a court appearance last year (DEC06).
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
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