JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- An incident at a Mandarin library led to the arrest of a sex offender on Wednesday.
According to investigators, 45-year-old Daniel McKenna, of Massachusetts, harassed several young girls at the Mandarin Regional Library on Kori Road.
One of the girls accused McKenna of taking pictures of her with a camera.
Jacksonville police said McKenna shattered the peace at the Mandarin library when he began bothering some teenage girls.
"(He) actually began to harass these young girls who are reading and doing some research, minding their own business. He approached one of the females and began to insult her," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesman Ken Jefferson said.
Police said the girls McKenna allegedly harassed were 13 and 14 years old and had complained about the man in the past.
One of the girls told investigators the man began harassing her while she was sitting at a table and when she got up, he began following her and making rude comments.
According to the police report, at one point McKenna "pulled out a camera and took a picture of her."
The girl notified the librarian, who called the police.
When officers questioned McKenna, he said he was taking pictures of the young girls for his Web site and he could not comment on why he was harassing them, according to the police report.
Police said when they looked at McKenna's ID they discovered he's a sex offender from Massachusetts.
"During a pat-down search, it was found that he had drugs on him. So, he was arrested and charged for possession of those drugs," Jefferson said.
Stacie Bucher, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Public Library, said she could not comment directly about Wednesday's case but said all libraries enforce a strict code of conduct and would not hesitate to call the police.
"It is a public place. It's like going to the mall or going to the park, and there's going to be all kinds of people there. That's why it's important to let your children know they need to let the library staff know if they need help," Bucher said.
Police said McKenna has a felony warrant out in Hernando County for a violation of probation.
McKenna is being held in the Duval County Jail, where he is expected to remain until his extradition.
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