Former Yankees World Series MVP John Wetteland appeared in court Monday for the first time since being arrested in January on charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child, maintaining his innocence of the horrific alleged acts.

Wetteland, 52, was indicted in March by a grand jury on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, occurring between 2004 and 2006, starting when the pitcher’s relative was 4 years old.

“What they’ve accused him of, the only thing worse is murder,” Wetteland’s attorney, Derek Adame, told the Dallas Morning News following Monday’s arraignment hearing. “He was completely shocked [by the allegations].”

According to Adame, Wetteland feels he’s been betrayed by the accuser.

“Think about someone you think the world of, who you trust,” Adame said. “That’s John Wetteland, for a lot of people.”

The former reliever, who attended Monday’s hearing with his wife, Rebecca, will next appear in court in July for an announcement hearing, when he intends to enter a plea of not guilty in the case.

“We look forward to the opportunity to prove our innocence, which is what Mr. Wetteland is,” Adame said. “He is innocent and is looking forward to his day in court.