A 46-year-old Austin man pleaded not guilty to interfering with privacy after he allegedly watched a 23-year-old woman in the shower without her knowing.

Juan Carlos Pascual pleaded not guilty to one count gross misdemeanor interfering with privacy Thursday in Mower County District Court.

The alleged incident happened July 23 around 11:20 a.m. when a woman called police about a man watching her in the shower.

When police arrived in the 1000 block of Sixth Ave. NE, Pascual was standing in the backyard.

The woman told officers she was showering with the door shut and music playing when she saw Pascual looking into the shower at her, according to a court complaint. She said he was kneeling on the floor near the bathtub and had lifted the shower curtain to see in.

According to a court complaint, the woman previously lived in the same house as Pascual but reportedly moved out at age 15 because he repeatedly attempted to see her naked. She moved back into the same house as him three years ago and told police the attempts have not stopped.

When officers questioned Pascual, he said he went into the bathroom to get a freshly charged battery for his power drill. He said he didn’t realize anybody was in the shower.

Pascual’s son refused to serve as an interpreter for him, saying Pascual is “a liar,” according to a court complaint.

A jury trial for Pascual is scheduled to begin Oct. 24 with Judge Donald Rysavy presiding.