Actor Fred Willard has been offered the chance to enrol on a counselling course after he was arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct last week on Wednesday. 

The This is Spinal Tap star will avoid being formally charged if he completes a "pre-filing diversion program", according to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office. 

Spokesperson Frank Mateljan tells the Los Angeles Times, "I want to stress this was and is a filable case, and should the defendant choose not to enrol or not complete the program, we have the option of filing criminal charges within a year... Should he complete the course, we will consider the matter closed." 

The course will cost Willard $380, but he has already lost his job as narrator for the PBS reality TV show Market Warriors. 

Willard has maintained his innocence after the arrest for allegedly masturbating during a porn film at Hollywood's Tiki Theater.