Former WABC 7 sportscaster Marvell Scott pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape yesterday, claiming he was the victim of a "ruse." His attorney Richard Portale said, "This case boils down to an attempt to shake down Dr. Scott by a pimp and his two prostitutes. And now Dr. Scott is forced to defend himself in court.”

Scott, who left his TV career last year to focus on medicine, is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in 2008. The girl, apparently a runaway from Albany, and a 16-year-old friend were out of cash, and ,Newsday reports (subscription required) they met a man in Times Square who "said he could help them make money." Prosecutors say that they then ran into Scott, who agreed to pay for sex with the girls, taking them to his West 47th Street home.

The 14-year-old allegedly fled, "but when Scott demanded his money back, the 16-year-old talked the younger girl into going back," according to the Daily News. Per the Journal News, "The older girl stayed in the bedroom while Scott and the younger girl had sex so the girl wouldn't be afraid, prosecutors said." Further, prosecutors also say that Scott called the pimp after the incident to ask for the 14-year-old again.

It's taken over a year and a half for an indictment because the prosecution had to track down witnesses and arrest the pimp (there's no DNA because Scott allegedly used a condom)—and because Scott rejected an earlier plea for child endangerment. Scott, who was charged with statutory rape, patronizing a prostitute and endangering the welfare of a child, is free on $10,000 bail. Portale said, “They saw him as a mark, they asked to use the bathroom, ’Can I come up into your apartment?’ Once he sniffed it out, it was ended.”