A man accused of sexting and stalking Ashanti believes the singer and her family encouraged his behavior. Devar Hurd, 35, pleaded not guilty to stalking, aggravated harassment, criminal contempt, and other charges in a Manhattan Supreme Court Tuesday (Aug. 13).

In 2010, Hurd had already been sentenced to two years for stalking the Grammy winner, and, recently, he broke a protective order with more lewd messages, a decision blamed on Ashanti and her mother/manager Tina Douglas. 

Court papers from Tuesday's arraignment show that Hurd admitted to sending "sexually based" tweets and text messages, although he was aware of "multiple orders of protection" barring contact with Ashanti and her family. The convicted criminal believes, however, that it was the court that wanted the restraining order. "The family doesn't care," he said.

During his first trial, Hurd testified that the various messages were gifts "for the ladies."

BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music. 

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 

(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)