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Kenshin Kamimura -- a former member of the six-member boy group ONE N' ONLY -- was granted bail after pleading not guilty to a charge of indecent assault at West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
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The 25-year-old is accused of indecently assaulting a local female translator during a celebration dinner at a Mong Kok restaurant on March 2, following a fan meeting in Hong Kong.
Kamimura was fired by his management agency, Stardust Promotion, in March over "the discovery of a serious compliance violation", according to the company statement.
The case was heard on Tuesday at 9.30am, attracting a large number of audience from Hong Kong, the mainland and Japan, with dozens queuing outside the court from 6am, prompting the Judiciary to open an additional hearing room.
It is reported that around 174 admission passes were given away, and over 90 percent of the seats in the main courtroom were filled.
Dressed in a black suit and a black tie, Kamimura broke out in tears after loudly pleading "not guilty" in Japanese at the court.
When the magistrate asked if he needed a break, he replied that he was fine, later adding in Cantonese, "No problem," which led some of his female fans to wipe away tears.
The prosecution indicated they would call two witnesses to testify and would not rely on any confession, while the defense revealed that one to two witnesses who were present at the time of the incident would also testify.
Magistrate Li Chi-ho has scheduled the next hearing for July 30 and expected to last three days.
Indecent assault carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the remaining five members of ONE N' ONLY recently announced a contract with a new record label and are set to release their debut CD on June 18.
(Phoebe Poon and Reuters)
