A man today pleaded not guilty to a string of sexual abuse charges involving his three young nieces, the most serious of which is violent rape.

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, who presided over the arraignment, ordered a ban on the names of the accused and the victims and all localities mentioned in the courtroom.

The man was accused of having, on 11 October of this year and in the years before, violently raped two relatives who are minors. He was further charged with participating in sexual acts with the girls, forcing the older girl to witness sexual abuse, producing or being in possession of indecent material and defiling the children when they were placed under his care.

Sources close to the investigation said the man had anally raped the girls at a time when they were still three and five years old. The alleged abuse went on for a number of years. The man had also shown a pornographic video to a third sister, the youngest of the three. The younger girl had eventually spoken out about the abuse, leading to the man's arrest.

The accused, who faces up to 20 years in prison, pleaded not guilty but did not make a request for bail.

Lawyer Benjamin Valenzia was legal aid lawyer. Inspector Joseph Busuttil prosecuted.