Joseph Gatt has appeared in court charged with having sexually explicit chats online with a minor

Gatt is free on a $5,000 bail after he was arrested in April 2022 on an outstanding felony warrant for "contact with a minor for a sexual offense" in LA.

Enrique Monguia, the LA Superior Court judge presiding over the case, said during Gatt's Monday court appearance the case would continue on 4 December after prosecutor Michael Fern said additional discovery was needed for it to progress.

Gatt's appearance came 18 months after he was arrested in LA and his home searched by police from the Juvenile Division's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

He was charged with 'contact with a minor for sexual offense' and faces a second charge of felony possession of an assault weapon.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges and under the terms of his $5,000 bail was barred from having unsupervised time with minors, as well as possessing pornography and the use of social media unless it was for work.

Gatt - who suffers a condition called alopecia universalis which caused him to lose all his hair at the age of 14 - strongly denied the charges on Twitter, now known as X.

He said on the platform: "I obviously want to address the absolutely horrifying and completely untrue allegations recently levelled against me.

"They are 100 per cent categorically wrong and reckless. I have confirmed errors and misleading information in today's press release. I am fully cooperating with police and Los Angeles Police Department to get to the bottom of this.

"I look forward to clearing my good name. Thank you to all my friends and supporters who know that this is untrue and understand for legal reasons I cannot comment further on social media."

Mercy has taken to social to brand the allegations against her partner "beyond insane".

She added: "So much love to everyone who has already reached out in support of Joe and myself.

"Those who know us obviously know that the allegations levelled against him are insane."