LONDON, Ont. - Three jurors have been chosen so far to serve in the trial of a man accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and killing an eight-year-old girl.

Michael Rafferty, 31, was formally arraigned today and pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, sexual assault causing bodily harm and kidnapping in the death of Victoria Stafford.

Dressed in a three-piece suit, Rafferty stood looking out at the jury pool and said he was ready for his trial.

"That is correct," he said as his pleas were read back to him.

Tori disappeared while on her way home from school in Woodstock, Ont., on April 8, 2009, and her body was found three months later.

Terri-Lynne McClintic, now 21, has already been convicted of first-degree murder in the girl's death.

The whittled-down pool of 116 people were organized into five groups, and they will be asked a series of questions over Wednesday and Thursday as a jury of 12 people and two alternates is selected.

Three women were chosen as jurors Wednesday morning and a second group will be asked the questions this afternoon.

Superior Court Judge Thomas Heeney explained to the assembled potential jurors that they would each be asked a series of pre-determined questions.

Crown and defence lawyers get a set number of challenges, which they can use to reject a potential juror without giving a reason.

The trial is expected to start Monday if all jurors and alternates can be selected this week.

Potential jurors have been told the trial is expected to last between 2 1/2 and three months, possibly extending into June. Most weeks the trial will sit Tuesdays to Fridays. Because of the time commitment and the nature of the case, Heeney raised the amount of compensation jurors will get.

In most trials in Ontario jurors are paid $40 a day if they sit longer than 10 days, and from the 50th day onward they get $100 a day. For this trial jurors will receive $40 a day from the outset, rising to $100 a day starting on the 25th day.

During the trial the jury is set to visit the site where Tori's body was found.