A 73-year-old family practice doctor denies “touching any patient or anyone improperly” despite charges that he fondled two women and a 12-year-old girl, according to his defense attorney.

Dr. Donald Nicol made his initial appearance in District Court on three charges that he sexually assaulted two women, ages 21 and 19, and a minor girl.

District Court Judge Leslie Hayashi set Oct. 17 as Nicol’s preliminary hearing.

Brook Hart, Nicol’s attorney, said the doctor “denies that he ever touched any patient or anyone else improperly.”

Hart added that Nicol is a physician and that “touching females for the purpose of examination is part of what he does as a job.”

Nicol is free after posting bond of $750,000.

Nicol was arrested Wednesday on four counts of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of third-degree sexual assault and three counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Nicol was in court Tuesday to face three of the 10 charges.

According to court documents, the first-degree sexual assault, involving the minor, occurred July 19.  The second-degree sexual assaults involved the women and reportedly took place Nov. 4 and Sept. 13.

The women and the girl are believed to be patients of Nicol, according to authorities.

Hart said that other charges could be made by city prosecutors through an Oahu grand jury indictment.

Nicol was arrested Wednesday morning at his Kamehameha Highway office in Kahaluu — one of two he maintains. His other family practice office is in the Niu Valley Shopping Center.

Hart noted that Nicol has been a doctor since he graduated from University of Hawaii Medical School in 1978 and did his residency at Queen’s Medical Center.

Hart said Nicol practiced law in Hawaii after graduating from Stanford Law School in 1967 and Princeton University. Nicol is listed as an inactive member of the Hawaii State Bar Association in its directory.