San Diego

A La Mesa man suspected of posing as a police officer and attacking seven girls pleaded innocent Friday to 27 criminal counts.

Mark Timothy Carson, 21, who works as a grocery clerk, was ordered held in County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

San Diego Municipal Judge Jesus Rodriguez set a preliminary hearing for July 24 and a bail review for July 15.

Carson is charged with kidnaping, attempted kidnaping, rape, attempted rape, rape with a foreign object, assault with intent to commit rape, performing lewd, lascivious acts with minors, and sexual battery.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Patricia Cookson said Carson, who once worked as a security guard, flashed a badge to some of the girls and pretended he was a police officer. She had asked that Carson be held without bail.

The girls were approached on University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego, she said. Their ages ranged from 12 to 17.

Some of the girls successfully fought off their attacker. The first incident occurred March 15 and the others happened April 21, in late June, July 1 and last Monday.