R&B star Akon, who was due in court on Monday over charges stemming from an incident earlier this summer when he tossed an underage fan off the stage, pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment.
 
The artist, who was officially charged last week, arrived in Fishkill, NY, where the concert took place in June, and entered his plea to be processed in advance of his scheduled 9:00 a.m. court appearance, TMZ reported. The case was adjourned until January 16 2008.

"It was never Akon's intent to violate the law," a statement issued by the singer through his attorneys, Benjamin Brafman and Andrea Zellan, wrote. "This unfortunate incident was a spontaneous reaction during a live concert that Akon deeply regrets. We are confident that this matter will ultimately be resolved in a manner that does not in any way interfere with Akon's successful career."

If convicted, Akon, 34, faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison.

The incident, which was also caught on tape and posted online, occurred after an audience member threw an object at the singer, who then pulled a 15-year-old boy from the crowd and tossed him into the audience, hitting a woman, who suffered a concussion.

The episode was not an isolated one for Akon, who lost the Verizon sponsorship for his tour with Gwen Stefani after he invited an underage girl on stage and performed lewd dance moves with her. Akon did not know at the time that the girl was only 14, as his show was billed as 21 and over.