SAN DIEGO -- A man arrested in Hawaii 16 years after San Diego authorities issued an arrest warrant charging him with molesting two children he babysat, pleaded not guilty Friday to seven felony counts of committing a lewd act on a child.

Peter Bitner, 64, was ordered held on $300,000 bail.

Bitner was living out of his car in Honolulu, Hawaii, when he was taken into custody earlier this month and extradited to San Diego.

He faces 20 years in state prison if convicted on all charges.

Deputy District Attorney Marisa Di Tillio said outside court that Bitner was friends with one of the victims' parents and offered to babysit the children in 1993. The mother noticed her children were displaying inappropriate behavior after Bitner's babysitting and called police.

Di Tillio said Bitner allegedly molested the 4 1/2-year-old girl a number of times and the 2-year-old boy once.

Judge Polly Shamoon scheduled a readiness conference for Sept. 22 and a preliminary hearing for Sept. 24.