Strauss-Kahn: Not guilty to sex charges

NEW YORK, June 6 (UPI) -- Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former chief of the International Monetary Fund, pleaded not guilty to charges he sexually assaulted a hotel employee in New York.

Strauss-Kahn, 62, was formally charged in State Supreme Court on allegations he tried to rape a 32-year-old maid at the Sofitel New York. Prosecutors also accuse him of forcing her to perform oral sex, among other things.

The defense has indicated it will argue that any sexual encounter was consensual.

Strauss-Kahn attorney Ben Brafman declined to comment on details of the case outside the courtroom after the plea, CNN reported.

"We intend to defend this case and defend it vigorously, but we are going to do so in the courtroom," Brafman said.

Strauss-Kahn has been staying a few blocks from the courthouse in a multimillion-dollar luxury townhouse under house arrest, wearing an electronic monitoring device. He can leave the dwelling under limited circumstances, such as to visit his lawyers or to attend religious services. He was required to put up $1 million cash bail and $5 million bond for his release from prison and agreed to pay $200,000 a month for 24-hour armed guards and electronic monitoring.

Strauss-Kahn's next court date is July 18.

Strauss-Kahn -- who resigned as managing director for the IMF May 18, four days after the allegations were leveled -- had been considered a serious challenger to French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the country's next elections. Strauss-Kahn was indicted May 19.

During the hearing, defense lawyers formally requested Manhattan prosecutors provide discovery materials, saying some of the information already has been leaked to media, CNN reported.

"Our client's right to a fair trial is being compromised by the public disclosure of prejudicial material even before these materials have been disclosed to counsel," Strauss-Kahn's attorneys wrote in a letter to the presiding judge before the hearing.

The defense team said it could, if it so chose, "release substantial information that in our view would seriously undermine the quality of this prosecution and also gravely undermine the credibility of the complainant in this case."

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon wrote in a letter she agreed with the need to guard against leaks, but was "troubled that you chose to inject into the public record your claim that you possess information that might negatively impact the case and 'gravely' undermine the credibility of the victim."

If the defense really has such information, it should be sent to prosecutors, she said.

Brafman told Metropole Television's M6 program "66 Minutes" he believes his client will be exonerated.

"It is a sincere statement and a good-faith belief in the outcome," the attorney said.