An Italian judge ordered Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to be tried immediately on charges of paying for sex with an underage girl and abuse of office, according to a statement from the judge's office.

Trial has been set to start on April 6, according to the statement from Judge Cristina Di Censo's office. The center-right leader has denied any wrongdoing in the case, Reuters reports

Prosecutors accuse Berlusconi of paying for sex with a nightclub dancer when she was under 18, which is against the law in Italy.

They also accuse him of abusing the powers of his office by pressuring police to have her released from custody over theft allegations.

The prostitution scandal has shaken the 74-year-old media tycoon's struggling government.