An Edmonton taekwondo instructor on trial for sexual assault insisted Wednesday he never molested or touched any of his students inappropriately.

Thomas Innerebner, 52, is charged with eight counts of touching children under 14 for a sexual purpose and nine counts of sexual assault. His jury trial started last week in Edmonton Court of Queen's Bench.

At one point during hours of intense cross-examination Wednesday by Crown prosecutor David Hill, Innerebrer called the allegations of sexual assault against him "ridiculous".

"Did you hear in the past two weeks, seven children and two adults accuse you of being a child molester?" Hill asked.

Innerebner agreed that he had. Hill then asked him if the allegations made him reflect on how he treated his students.

"Yes, there's been a lot of time for reflection," Innerebner replied. "To reflect on all the good I've done for these students."

Later on in his testimony, Innerebner questioned why he would want to behave inappropriately towards his students.

"Why after 12-plus years of teaching with an unblemished record would I want to risk my career, my reputation, by starting this kind of behavior in class?" he asked.

Innerebner wanted to take lie detector test, jury told

Innerebner denied any inappropriate contact with his students during questioning from his lawyer, Brian Beresh, on Tuesday.

Beresh asked Innerebner the same questions about each of the nine female complainants in the case.

"Did you ever have any physical or sexual attraction to her?" Beresh asked each time.

"No," Innerebner replied.

"Did you ever for any sexual purpose touch her or sexually assault her?"

Each time, Innerebner would turn towards the jury each time and reply: "Absolutely not."

In court last week, one of his former students, who was an adult when she studied with him, testified that she quit her lessons with Innerebner because he touched her breasts and buttocks while she was stretching.

None of his students showed a reluctance to be near him, Innerebner testified, and many sent him cards and gifts of appreciation.

When he learned he would be charged with sexual assault in 2007, he testified he was in "complete shock".

Innerebner told the jury that when he was questioned by police, he agreed to take a polygraph test. When they decided not to do the test, Innerebner still wanted to do it, adding he would still take one today.

Innerebner has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The jury is expected to start its deliberations tomorrow.