Ex-IMF Chief Strauss-Kahn Pleads Not Guilty To Sex Charges

Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his wife, Anne Sinclair, arrive for a hearing at the New York State Criminal Courthouse in New York today.

Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn pleaded "not guilty" today to charges that he tried to rape a maid in a New York City hotel.

The ex-managing director of the International Monetary Fund made the plea in a New York criminal court, setting the stage for his trial on seven counts, including attempted rape.

New York prosecutors say have charged him with assaulting a 32-year-old employee at the Sofitel in Manhattan on May 14.

Before his arrest, Strauss-Kahn was one of the world's notable economists and a leading contender for next year's French presidential election.

Strauss-Kahn resigned as head of the IMF after his arrest and is under house arrest in New York.

compiled from agency reports