Rebekah Brooks, who was chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.'s U.K. operation, today pleaded not guilty of conspiring to hack into phone calls.

The scandal led to the 2011 shutdown of News of the World tabloid.

It sparked widespread public revulsion following the disclosure of hacking into the phone of 13-year-old murder victim Milly Dowler.

Murdoch personally apologized to Dowler’s parents and News Corp. provided compensation to the family. The sum’s amount was not disclosed.

Brooks appeared in London court with nine others who also filed not guilty pleas.

That group included Stuart Kuttner, former managing editor of NOTW.

Brook served as editor of NOTW and Sun, its sister tabloid.