Granted asylum in the US three years ago, Yee will remain in Chicago’s Cook County Jail on a US$1 million (RM4.16 million) bond, and is scheduled for arraignment on Nov 18.

According to a CNA report, when people are indicted under US law, they are given formal notice that it is believed they have committed a crime. The accused are then arraigned, during which they are read the charges and asked to enter a plea.

“The grand jury has indicted you on this case,” judge Charles Beach told Yee during a remote hearing from the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago yesterday, adding that the “defendant demands trial”.

US marshals arrested Yee on Oct 14 at his apartment in Chicago’s Norwood Park East neighbourhood and charged him with child pornography and grooming, alleging that he exchanged nude photos with a 14-year-old girl in Texas via WhatsApp.

The incidents took place between Feb 1 and June 30 last year, court officials said, where “thousands” of texts were reportedly exchanged.

While court documents were not immediately available for viewing, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that prosecutors alleged their relationship had soured, and the girl reached out to a group “interested in exposing paedophiles”, where Homeland Security officials were notified.

In a previous hearing, Yee’s defence was reported to have described him as an “Internet troll” who is “all over the Internet saying fantastic things”.

Previously jailed in Singapore for hate speech against Christians and Muslims, Yee was granted asylum in the US. If convicted on these recent charges, he could face deportation.

His US$1 million bond requires him to post US$100,000, court officials said, which would require that he be placed on electronic monitoring while awaiting trial.

Last month, Singaporean activist Melissa Chen, who lives in New York and previously appeared for Yee, said in a Facebook post she was told of the allegations and had alerted the US Department of Homeland Security.