Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is facing legal action after a “Game of Thrones” actor filed suit over dismissed pedophilia charges.
Joseph Gatt—best known for his role as “Thenn Warg” on the popular HBO television series—is suing the city of Los Angeles, the LAPD, and the District Attorney’s office.
The 52-year-old is seeking $40 million in damages, and says the allegations made against him were not only career-ending, but ruined his reputation by branding him as a “serial pedophile.”
The charges stem from a 2022 arrest after Mr. Gatt was accused of engaging in sexually explicit online communication with a minor across state lines. He notes the claims were inadequately investigated prior to his felony charges being publicly announced in an LAPD press release.
The alleged interaction resulted from a video on Cameo Mr. Gatt recorded for a fan’s 16th birthday, before being contacted by the teenage girl via social media on multiple occasions. Mr. Gatt did respond, but according to the suit it was in a manner that was “wholly appropriate and consistent with typical celebrity-fan exchanges.” The two, however, never met in person.
Cameo is a video-sharing website often used by public figures. Users can purchase a personalized video for the individual receiving it. This gives fans a chance to connect with their favorite celebrities with a video message for any occasion. A crucial bit of information the lawsuit says backs claims that the teenage girl was an “admittedly obsessed fan of Gatt.”
The 16-year-old went on to claim to have pictures of the supposed inappropriate conversations, but the defendants failed to “interview or even remotely assess for credibility.” Mr. Gatt was arrested in April of 2022 following a search warrant on his home. He called the act an “invasion of privacy” that deprived him of his “liberty and freedom.”
Court records show the charges were dismissed in February of this year, after finding there was no sustainable evidence, and following forensic analysis, the minor in question fabricated the incriminating screenshots.
According to the suit, officials allegedly withheld exculpatory information critical to Mr. Gatt’s case and failed to take action for over 20 months following his initial arrest. The complaint notes the defendants showed “reckless disregard for the truth,” while acting with the knowledge that the pictures were not “reliable, credible, or trustworthy on their face.”
As a result, Mr. Gatt says he was fired from two movie roles he had already been cast in, with scenes being cut or reshot from movies he previously filmed in. He was excluded or disinvited from premieres and immediately stopped receiving any future business opportunities. The actor’s PR team and representatives dropped him as a client, and said death threats had become a recurrence.
At the time of the incident, the actor took to social media vehemently denying the claims made against him, calling them “100% categorically wrong and reckless.” He pointed out errors and misleading information in the case, but was ultimately cooperating with authorities to clear his name.
In California, if a person is falsely accused of a crime the accuser could be held liable via civil action for malicious prosecution. As a result, Mr. Gatt is requesting “compensatory, punitive and exemplary damages in an amount to be determined at trial, constituting his losses foreseeably resulting from Defendants’ misconduct,” per the suit.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gascón has made headlines in recent months, after one of his staff prosecutors spoke out accusing him of intimidation tactics. Deputy District Attorney Tatiana Chahoian said authorities showed up to her home to deliver a disciplinary letter after blowing the whistle on a memo from Mr. Gascón telling prosecutors not to charge for crimes regarding street racing, a major issue facing the city of Los Angeles.
“Silencing people by threatening them with the police is literally a mafia tactic, and I don’t work for the mob,” Ms. Chahoian said.
The embattled DA is up for reelection and will face off against contender and former attorney general Nathan Hochman to defend his seat come November.
The Epoch Times reached out to Mr. Gascón’s office for comment.
