London - A Hollywood producer has been charged with multiple sex offences after handing himself into police.
David Guillod, 53, who has worked with Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth, faces 11 claims relating to four women for incidents going back to 2012, said prosecutors.
He is the latest film mogul to be swept up in the #MeToo movement, which led to Harvey Weinstein’s 23-year jail sentence for rape and sexual assault in March.
Guillod was accompanied by his lawyer Philip Cohen when he surrendered to police in Santa Barbara, outside Los Angeles, on Monday. He denies all the charges, said Cohen.
Prosecutors said Guillod could face a sentence of 21 years to life in prison if convicted of rape, sexual assault and kidnap.
A high-profile talent manager, Guillod was executive producer on Atomic Blonde starring Theron in 2017 and this year’s Netflix thriller Extraction with Thor star Hemsworth.
Santa Barbara prosecutors did not name the complainants on the charge sheet. But Guillod has been publicly accused of sexual assault by actress Jessica Barth who starred in Ted.
Actress Jessica Barth has publicly accused Hollywood producer David Guillod of sexual assault. Picture: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/African News Agency (ANA) Archives
Her claim he drugged her during a 2012 meeting was investigated by Los Angeles police but closed two years later. Barth went public with the allegation in 2017 in the wake of the #MeToo movement. She said she had felt "very drowsy" during a dinner with Guillod, who was then her manager.
"The next thing I remember is waking up at home with six hickeys [love bites] on my neck," added Barth. "I was horrified. I was completely and utterly confused and I was sick to my stomach.
"Through email, he tried to play it off as a silly make-out session between friends.
"He sent me message after message begging that we talk and letting me know how upset he was and that he couldn’t sleep because of the pit in his stomach."
She also alleged Weinstein had propositioned her during a meeting, alternating between offering to cast her in a film and demanding a naked massage in bed.
Guillod’s lawyers said the case was dropped when "witnesses were interviewed whose version of events belied and completely contradicted" Miss Barth.
Another actress is said to have then contacted her with a similar account about Guillod, who stepped down as chief executive of Primary Wave Entertainment soon after.
On Monday, he was charged with incidents involving three women in Santa Barbara in 2014-15 and a sex assault in Los Angeles in 2012.
An alleged kidnap and rape in Santa Barbara took place in December 2014 at a company country retreat, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Guillod was also charged with the rape of two unconscious and intoxicated women over a 48-hour period in January 2015.
"Mr Guillod has been vilified for eight years without being afforded the opportunity to examine under oath his accusers," said Cohen.
"Justice is rarely swift and often does not come easy but Mr Guillod very much looks forward to clearing his name in the appropriate forum."
The attorney’s office said Guillod remained in police custody after being charged with bail set at £2.4 million.