SKOWHEGAN — A former longtime Anson town official is facing an additional criminal charge.

Prosecutors last month charged Arnold P. Luce, 68, of Anson, with one Class D count of assault and one Class D count of unlawful sexual touching, according to court records. The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office in August had initially issued a summons to Luce for only the assault charge.

Luce pleaded not guilty to both misdemeanor-level counts during a brief arraignment Wednesday at the Skowhegan District Court. He is due back in court in Skowhegan March 9.

Luce turned down a plea offer from prosecutors that would have come with a sentence of 364 days in jail, with all but 60 days suspended, and one year of probation.

Luce told Chief District Judge Brent Davis, who presided over Wednesday’s proceeding, that he was not requesting a court-appointed attorney. It was unclear if Luce had already retained counsel as no attorney information was listed in the case’s court file following the arraignment.

Luce was released on personal recognizance. Davis ordered him to have no contact with the alleged victim while free on bail and the case continues, court records show.

The assault charge alleges that Luce intentionally, knowingly or recklessly caused bodily injury or offensive physical contact to a woman in Embden on Aug. 6.

The unlawful sexual touching charge alleges that Luce intentionally subjected the same woman to sexual touching to which she did not consent on Sept. 6, also in Embden.

The Morning Sentinel does not identify alleged victims of sexual offenses without their permission.

Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster announced in August his office had charged Luce with assault. Deputy Stacey Slate issued him a summons Aug. 12, court records show.

On Aug. 7, Slate responded to a complaint from a woman who reported a potential sexual offense, Lancaster said previously. Slate’s investigation found that an incident leading to the assault charge happened on Aug. 6 at Luce’s Meat Market on Embden Pond Road, in North Anson, near the Embden town line.

Luce resigned his position on the Anson Board of Selectmen on Aug. 10, according to a letter that town administrative assistant, treasurer and tax collector Nancy Gove read aloud at a meeting Aug. 12.

Luce did not state a reason for his resignation in the letter. It is not clear if it was related to the pending criminal case. Gove said at the August meeting Luce told her he resigned his post for personal reasons, not because of anything related to town business.

Luce served on the board for decades; newspaper archives indicate voters first elected him in 1994. Most recently in his tenure, Luce was the board’s chairman. 

Following Luce’s departure, the remaining four members chose Selectman Jim Smith to chair the board. In September, the board decided against holding a special election to fill the vacant seat and instead chose to wait until regular town elections that coincide with the annual town meeting in March.

The recent allegations against Luce are not the first time he has faced similar charges.

In 2010, Luce pleaded no contest to a Class D assault charge and paid a $750 fine, the Morning Sentinel reported. Luce had been accused of touching a woman’s buttocks while at his meat processing business.

In that case, Luce was initially charged with unlawful sexual touching of the female employee. Prosecutors dismissed that charge in exchange for the assault charge, saying at the time that Luce’s intent was unclear, so the language in the assault statute better fit the offense.