Australian actor Craig McLachlan, best known to British viewers as Neighbours' Henry Ramsay, has denied allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.

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Three cast members of a 2014 production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show have accused the 52-year-old actor of inappropriate touching and harassment, according to a report by Australian broadcaster ABC.

On Monday, McLachlan stepped down from his role as Dr Frank N Furter in the Rocky Horror Picture Show's current run in Adelaide, and rejected the allegations as "entirely false" in an email sent to ABC and Fairfax Media.

"Frankly, they seem to be simple inventions, perhaps made for financial reasons, perhaps to gain notoriety," he said.

A spokesperson for the Victoria Police department confirmed that detectives from Melbourne's Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team are currently investigating the allegations.

Three cast members from the 2014 production, Christie Whelan Browne, Erika Heynatz and Angela Scundi, told ABC that they are not seeking money but want reassurances that current cast members are not at risk.

The claims include that McLachlan pulled aside Whelan Browne's underwear and kissed her buttocks during a performance, and that he exposed himself to another actress and kissed a cast member without their permission.

"I think people who know him know that he's very generous, warm, funny... I saw a very different side come out in him which was terrifying," Whelan Browne told ABC.

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According to ABC's report, two of the women said they complained to senior production staff at the time and nothing was done about it.

Authors

Ben AllenOn Demand Writer, RadioTimes.com
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