The Boothbay Harbor Police Department arrested Eric Matchett on June 27 in connection with reports of sexually inappropriate messages sent to area teenage girls via Facebook, said Officer Larry Brown July 1. Matchett, 20, of Boothbay Harbor, is being charged with harassment by telephone or electronic communication device.

In May, the BHPD reported their investigation had resulted in a discussion with the alleged offender, but no arrest.

Brown said that in a typical harassment case an individual must be first warned not to engage in a behavior and then do it again. However, upon further investigation and consultation with the District Attorney’s Office, Brown found a warning is not necessary in cases of telephone or electronic communication harassment.

Maine law prohibits the use of a telephone or electronic communication device to make “any comment, request, suggestion or proposal that is, in fact, offensively coarse or obscene, without the consent of the person called or contacted.”