(CNN) Retail mogul Sir Philip Green has been charged with four counts of misdemeanor assault in the US, after a Pilates instructor accused him of repeatedly slapping and touching her body during classes.

The billionaire chairman of Arcadia group, the retail empire that includes Topshop, was charged with "knowingly touching another person with the intent to injure, insult or provoke" in 2016 and 2018, said Deputy County Attorney Lauren E. Deakin for Pima County, Arizona, to CNN.

Each count of misdemeanor assault carries a potential sentence of up to 30 days in jail, a fine of not more than $500 and up to one year of probation.

The allegations of assault were made by Pilates instructor Katie Surridge who told police in Arizona that Green touched her inappropriately at the Canyon Ranch resort in Tucson, according to the Press Association.

In a statement given to CNN on behalf of Philip Green, the businessman "strenuously denies these allegations and is disappointed that the charges have been filed in his absence and they are minor categories of misdemeanor in the United States." The statement also denied "any allegation of any sexual assault or misconduct made by the prosecution."

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