A French court has found Lebanese-French musician Ibrahim Maalouf guilty of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl back in 2013.
The 37-year-old award-winning trumpeter and composer was handed a suspended prison sentence, along with a fine, last Friday.
According to the Daily Star, Maalouf denied the accusations and "portrayed her [the victim] as an infatuated fan who was bitter after being rejected."
In March 2017, a French official announced that Maalouf was being investigated for kissing an underage intern, who was 14-years-old at the time of the incident, at his music studio in Paris.
"I'm outraged by the grave charges brought against me and I am in a state of shock today," the Lebanese-French musician first wrote on social media in response to the accusations.
While Maalouf denied her allegations, the plaintiff testified in court that he had grabbed and kissed her without her consent.
Subsequently, the court in Creteil, a southeastern suburb of Paris, convicted him of sexual assault, sentenced him to a suspended prison term, and ordered him to pay a 20,000 euro ($23,000) fine.
A "suspended prison sentence" is when a court decides to delay a prison sentence to allow the convict a period of probation.
Speaking to French radio station Europe 1, Maalouf announced he will appeal the court's verdict, claiming there is no evidence of the charges.
He went on to say, "They have no proof of anything. The court's only argument is, 'Why would she lie?'"
Meanwhile, the plaintiff's lawyer described the verdict as "a light sentence considering the assault's impact on the victim."
"I think my client is satisfied that Maalouf has been convicted, that her voice was heard, and that she proved she did not invent a story against her idol," the lawyer explained.
Who is Ibrahim Maalouf?
Born in Lebanon, Maalouf and his parents - both musicians - immigrated to France during Lebanon's 1975-1990 Civil War.
He is seen as one of the leading and best-selling jazz musicians and composers in France, and is credited with becoming a reference for oriental electro-jazz.
In February 2017, Maalouf won France's equivalent to the Oscars, the César award, for his work on the movie "Dans les forêts de Sibérie."