AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A former Children's Hospital of Georgia mental health technician has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual battery involving patients at the Augusta facility.

The Augusta Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/X1wae0) that 56-year-old Bernard Edwards of Hephzibah entered the not guilty pleas Thursday in Richmond County Superior Court.

He's charged with aggravated sexual battery, sexual battery against a hospital patient and simple battery.

An indictment accuses Edwards of sexually assaulting a girl Nov. 14, and another patient in 2010. He's accused of inappropriately hugging and touching a boy in a third incident in 2012.

Georgia Regents University said Edwards was fired Jan. 8 from his job as a mental health technician.

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