ATHENS – It was an open secret – his name – but after repeated reports identifying him only as a famous actor, Greek TV and film star Petros Filippidis has been indicted by the Athens Prosecutor’s Office over cases involving one rape and two attempted rapes.

Under Greek privacy laws, no names generally are allowed to be published unless someone is convicted but that's often ignored in cases of celebrity, public figures or politicians.

Filippidis, a prominent face in the arts community that's racked by growing sex scandals, was accused in complaints from female colleagues who claimed he sexually assaulted them.

That allegedly happened during a period that still allows prosecution because a statute of limitations hasn't been reached, said Kathimerini, although no details were given about what was said to have occurred and the accusers not named.

The indictments were issued fter an investigation of the complaints by Athens Prosecutor Konstantinos Spyropoulos, who heard testimony from the alleged victims and Filippidis, who denied the allegations, the paper said.

He remains free, however, until other judicial procedures to determine whether he will be taken into custody. Among his notable roles was in the popular TV series 50-50 and he also appeared on stage.

His case is the high-profile since the earlier arrest of  director and actor Dimitris Lignadis, former head of the The National Theater, facing charges of raping minors who's being held at Tripoli prison in southern Greece.