JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A local attorney appeared in a Duval County Courtroom Wednesday in shackles facing charges that he touched young girls inappropriately at a Jacksonville public library earlier this month.

Basim Soliman, 37, is charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation for actions with teenaged girls at the Pablo Creek Regional Library. According to police reports, he rubbed up against three girls and touched them -- two of them in the parking lot.

In one case, a 12-year-old girl said the man followed her from the teen section of the library to her car, where he brushed his body against her. She told investigators that after she locked herself in the car, he circled the vehicle.

"He confessed to all the instances," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Lt. Susan Bowen said. "He has been apologetic. However, it is our opinion (that) there is no apology that is acceptable for his behavior. These young children were at the library in an effort to study for school and it should be a safe haven for these children."

Bowen, who heads the department's sex-crime office, said that Soliman's alleged behavior should set off red flags for anyone.

"There's always the potential for violence, and certainly more extreme behavior on the part of the suspect," Bowen said. "But again, I can't comment on what was going through his head."

Police said Soliman was caught when one witness reported his license tag and a librarian retrieved his library card identification after seeing that he was logged onto one of the computers.

Knowing that Soliman was in custody gave people at the San Pablo library some relief.

"It's really sad to think that way in this day and age and when you're going to a local library where good things happen, but you just have to be aware of your surroundings," library patron Robin Barquilla told Channel 4's Melanie Lawson.

Soliman is being held on $103,000 bond and he was told to stay away from minors.