LONDON, March 15. /TASS/. British actor John Shannon, known professionally as John Alford, has died at the age of 54 after being sentenced to eight years and six months in prison for sexually assaulting two girls, The Guardian reported.

The cause of death is currently unknown, the newspaper said. The UK Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the incident.

Shannon died two months after being convicted of sexually assaulting two girls, aged 14 and 15, and beginning his prison sentence, the publication added.