DA not charging Scott Baio in sex assault case because statute expired

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has officially decided not to pursue sexual assault charges against actor Scott Baio because the statute of limitations covering the alleged offenses has expired.

Actress Nicole Eggert had accused Baio of sexually assaulting her while she was working as a teen actress on his show "Charles in Charge" in the 1980s. She was between ages 14 to 17 at the time of the alleged assaults.

The DA's office interviewed the alleged victim in May of this year. They reviewed the accusations and said based on the dates of the alleged offenses, between 1986 and 1989, the statute of limitations has expired.

The alleged victim is not identified in documents released by the DA's office. However Eggert has publicly come forward to discuss the allegations.

Baio has denied the allegations.

In May, when the case was first presented to the DA's office, Baio's spokesperson issued a statement saying in part: "Scott Baio is grateful to LAPD for a timely investigation. They were presented many pieces of evidence and statements that contradicted and undermined Nicole Eggert's untrue claims."

On Tuesday, Eggert's attorney, Lisa Bloom, issued a statement: "I am proud to represent Nicole Eggert as she has spoken out and inspired others. We have been told that while the DA found Nicole and her witnesses to be credible, they could not prosecute due to the statute of limitations. Let's abolish the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. Most victims aren't ready to talk about sexual abuse for many years. Unfortunately I have to break the news to victims everyday that they have no recourse as their claims are time barred."