WALTHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - Former “Dukes of Hazzard” star Thomas Wopat pleaded guilty Friday in Waltham District Court to two counts of annoying and accosting a person of the opposite sex in connection with charges stemming from inappropriate behavior during a rehearsal for a Waltham theater performance, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office announced.
A judge sentenced Wopat, 66, of New York, to one year of probation with the conditions that he stays away from and has no contact with the two female victims, to continue to undergo counseling and to sign releases with probation.
Wopat also received a continuation without a finding for one year after admitting to sufficient facts on the charge of possession of a Class B substance, according to the DA’s office. Wopat was also placed on pre-trial probation for one year on two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 with the same conditions.
The actor was arrested on a charge of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 in August 2017 as he was leaving Waltham High School where he was rehearsing for a performance of “42nd Street.” During the booking process, police said they found Wopat to be in possession of a plastic bag containing cocaine.
A cast member told police that Wopat had touched her in an inappropriate manner during a rehearsal being put on by the Reagle Players. After the initial charges were filed, police said they spoke with another female cast member who came forward about additional allegations.
Wopat was then charged with indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14 and two counts of accosting or annoying a person of the opposite sex. He was arraigned in November 2017.
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