A Pennsylvania appeals court on Monday blocked Bill Cosby’s effort to have criminal sexual assault charges against him thrown out, opening the way for the case to proceed.

Court officials on Tuesday scheduled a preliminary hearing in the criminal case for May 24th.

Though Mr. Cosby has been sued in civil courts by several women, the Pennsylvania case is the only criminal case to arise from the many sexual assault accusations leveled against him in recent years.

The case involves a former Temple University staff member, Andrea Constand, who says the entertainer drugged and molested her at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

Mr. Cosby, 78, has denied all wrongdoing. Andrew Wyatt, a spokesman for Mr. Cosby, could not immediately say whether Mr. Cosby would appeal.