After Russell Brand Reports, Police Now Investigating 'Non-Recent' Allegations of Sexual Offenses in U.K.

The actor has denied the allegations and no arrests have been made

Authorities are investigating multiple allegations of sexual offenses they've received since claims were made about Russell Brand.

Earlier this month, U.K. outlet The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches published reports documenting allegations of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four women against 48-year-old Brand.

The Get Him to the Greek actor and comedian preempted the reports by denying them on social media, saying he "absolutely refutes" the claims, which he called "extremely egregious and aggressive attacks."

On Monday, the Metropolitan Police's Scotland Yard confirmed in a statement that detectives have launched an investigation into allegations of sexual offenses. They did not mention Brand by name. No arrests have been made.

Related: A Timeline of Russell Brand's Recent Controversies

Police said, "Following an investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times, the Met has received a number of allegations of sexual offenses in London. We have also received a number of allegations of sexual offenses committed elsewhere in the country and will investigate these."

The offenses are "all non-recent," they added.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said in a statement, "We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offense, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us."

“We understand it can feel like a difficult step to take and I want to reassure that we have a team of specialist officers available to advise and support," said Furphy.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police previously said they hadn't gotten any official complaints filed in connection with the reports. They were in contact with the news outlets "to ensure that any victims of crime who they have spoken with are aware of how they may report any criminal allegations to police."

Related: Russell Brand Accused of Exposing Himself to Woman and Laughing About It on Radio Show

The comedian was accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four women, one of whom was 16 at the time, which is the age of consent in the U.K. The alleged incidents spanned 2006 to 2013.

Brand, who is currently expecting his third child with wife Laura Gallacher, shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, in which he said, "Obviously, it's been an extraordinary and distressing week, and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information that you have been presented with."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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