Actor Craig McLachlan found not guilty of all indecent and common assault charges

Actor Craig McLachlan has been found not guilty of all allegations he assaulted women while performing in the Rocky Horror Show.

Award-winning Aussie actor Craig McLachlan has been cleared of assaulting women while performing in a musical in Melbourne.

The 55-year-old was charged with seven counts of indecent assault and six counts of common law assault against four women during a run of the Rocky Horror Show.

Magistrate Belinda Wallington ruled on Tuesday he was not guilty on all 13 charges.

Gold Logie winning actor Craig McLachlan has been found not guilty of all charges. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Christian Gilles

But she also lashed Mr McLachlan’s lawyer for his use of “troubling and outdated” stereotypes in his questioning.

In particular, Ms Wallington hit out at questions about the complainants’ reputation based on the poses the women struck in photos, their appearance or what they were wearing.

While the magistrate found the women were “brave and honest witnesses”, she said the prosecutors had not met the required standard for her to find Mr McLachlan guilty of the allegations.

Ms Wallington also labelled the actor’s behaviour as “egocentric” and said his “self-entitled sense of humour” may have led him to believe the victims were consenting to his acts.

The court rejected police allegations the former soap star touched a woman’s genitalia over her costume on stage, that he stuck his tongue into one woman’s mouth and that he felt up a woman’s thigh.

“They are all liars,” Mr McLachlan told the court when he gave evidence last month.

Over three days, the actor denied the allegations, which he said he first heard about in the media back in 2018.

At one point during his evidence, he burst into song to demonstrate it was impossible to have used his tongue to kiss a woman onstage.

Craig McLachlan has been cleared of charges relating to a run of the Rocky Horror Show. Picture: Calum Robertson

Videos were also aired in court of the actor performing a simulated sex act and sitting on a toilet after he labelled one of the accusers as “vulgar”.

His lawyer, Stuart Littlemore QC, argued the acts did not happen or were unintentional.

The prosecution argued Mr McLachlan used his position of power to assault the women and the “power imbalance” made them feel they were unable to speak up until the show’s run was over.

“They were concerned what the accused had done to them and concerned about what he might do to others,” he said of why the women came forward.

The contested hearing began in 2019 and heard from more than a dozen witnesses.

Originally published as Actor Craig McLachlan found not guilty of all indecent and common assault charges