A Kauai District judge found an attorney guilty Thursday of licking his client’s ear at his Lihue office. 

Lawrence McCreery, 64, was convicted of harassment by per-diem District Judge Frank Rothschild. 

On July 26, 2011, McCreery was discussing a 21-year-old woman’s child custody case when he touched her arm, said a news release from the Kauai prosecutor’s office, and McCreery made a strange sound, hugged her tightly and licked the back of her right ear. 

McCreery denied the charges in court Thursday. He testified the woman initiated the hug and denied licking her ear, the news release said.

According to a news release, Rothschild said, “Quite frankly, these are the actions of a dirty old man.”

McCreery’s attorney, Michael Soong, said they plan to file an appeal.