SEATTLE -- A man accused of groping a woman in South Seattle faced formal charges in court Wednesday.

Bolar pleaded not guilty to second degree robbery and fourth degree assault.

Darin Bolar was arrested last month after witnesses wrote down his license plate number. Investigators are still trying to figure out if he's connected to two-dozen similar incidents in the Rainier Valley and Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood since 2006.

But Bolar's lawyer says neither of them should be here in court and that police don't have anything on his client for this case, or any others, and that the charges are all wrong.

"Absolutely, he's getting unfairly treated," said defense attorney Erik Kaeding. "He's getting railroaded."

Bolar is accused of groping a woman in front of a child last month on Beacon Hill, then stealing a witnesses' cell phone as he tried to snap a shot of Bolar's license plate.

But the woman in the case has never come forward, and that's why Bolar's lawyer is upset.

"He's been on the front page of the papers, labeled as a groper; his picture has been all over television (and) newspapers and they've got no evidence linking him to those," Kaeding said. "If they do, they haven't showed it to me."

There have been over two dozen groping attacks on Asian women on Beacon Hill over the last couple of years. Police believe Bolar may be tied to some, but not all of them.

But Wednesday, the judge got a handful of letters from Bolar's friends, saying it's not in the churchgoer's nature.

He's lived in the same house for 32 years and works hard.

His family told us the same.

"It's been going on for about two years," said Darin's cousin Louis Bolar. "I believe the police are really pressured into cracking the case and I believe our cousin, Darin's been a scapegoat for it."

But the judge looked at Bolar's criminal history -- a registered sex offender and at least 75 arrests and convictions including 3rd degree child rape, and she decided not to drop his $500,000 bail.

"$500,000 is outrageous for a robbery 2," Kaeding said.

Kaeding also pointed out that Bolar's last felony was 15 years ago, but if convicted on these charges, it would be his second strike. Seattle police are still investigating to see if Bolar could be linked to other groping cases, or if there are other groping suspects.