Ex-AMA champ Mat Mladin has been arrested

Seven-time American Superbike Champion Mat Mladin has been charged with four child sex offences in his home nation of Australia, it has been reported.

According to Australia’s The Daily Telegraph (link to be found here behind paywall), Mladin was taken into custody on March 13 and appeared by video link at the Magistrate on Wednesday March 25 in Campbelltown Local Court in New South Wales.

He was granted bail of $50,000 and forced to surrender his passport.

The report, according to Cycle News and Superbike Planet, says the 48-year old is accused of sexual intercourse of a child under the age of 10, two counts of intentionally carrying out a sex act on a child under 10 and one count of intentionally inciting a child to do a sexual act on him’.

Mladin’s lawyer says he will plead not guilty to the charges.

“This is a matter which is obviously going to go to trial,” Mladin’s lawyer told The Daily Telegraph. “There won’t be a plea of guilty. The complaint has actually provided, after 185 questions, effectively a denial of any wrongdoing by the applicant.”

Mladin clinched seven AMA Superbike titles to make him the series’ most successful competitor, famously enjoying an intense rivalry with Ben Spies before the Texan moved onto the WorldSBK Championship, which he won in his rookie 2009 season.