ST. TAMMANY PARISH - Former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Rodney "Jack" Strain pleaded not guilty to various charges including aggravated rape.

WWL-TV reports that he appeared in court for arraignment Thursday morning.

Strain was arrested on two counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated incest, one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile and a count of sexual battery after a grand jury indicted him in June.

Officials say a grand jury later handed down a superseding indictment against him, which added two additional counts of aggravated rape.

According to the indictment, the sex crimes charges against Strain stem from the sexual abuse of four victims from 1975 to 2004, when he was St. Tammany Parish sheriff.

The victims were under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged crimes. Reports say two of the victims were under the age of 12.