Screen and stage star Craig McLachlan will fight a raft of indecent assault charges believed to stem from allegations raised by colleagues.
Victoria Police on Friday confirmed a 53-year-old NSW man had been charged on summons with eight counts of indecent assault, common law assault and attempted indecent assault.
Named by news outlets as McLachlan, the man is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on February 8.
A spokesman for the former Neighbours star offered a brief statement.
"Craig is innocent of these charges which will be vigorously defended."
McLachlan faced allegations of misconduct by fellow cast members while starring in the Rocky Horror Show in 2014.
He strongly denied the allegations and launched defamation action in NSW.
The actor is suing Fairfax Media, the ABC and former co-star Christie Whelan Browne in the NSW Supreme Court, over articles and reports claiming he bullied and indecently assaulted her and two other female cast members during the stage production.
Since the publications, McLachlan has become reclusive and his acting career has been effectively destroyed, his legal team said in May.
McLachlan is seeking $6.5 million in special damages, and his defamation hearing is set down for four weeks from February 4.
In December, he had a minor win in his defamation case, after a judge rejected a bid to include three new complaints about his time on TV series The Doctor Blake Mysteries.
His defamation hearing was told in November McLachlan declined to be interviewed by Victorian police about assault and indecent assault allegations against the actor.
Trent Glover, for the police commissioner, told the court the refusal was one reason why he was abandoning a bid to preclude access to certain documents, produced in response to subpoenas, on grounds of public interest immunity.
McLachlan became a household name in Australia and Britain after roles on soap operas Neighbours and Home and Away. He subsequently had stints as a singer, musician and comedian.
