A Queen Anne's County private school principal was arrested Monday and charged with three counts of sexual conduct involving a 14-year-old girl, state police said.
Lowell S. Litton Jr., 39, of Sudlersville was charged with a third-degree sex offense, a fourth-degree sex offense and sex abuse of a minor, police said.
If convicted, he faces up to 36 years of imprisonment.
Police said the investigation began Sunday when officers at Centreville took a complaint of possible inappropriate sexual relations involving a juvenile.
Police said they found information revealing an "ongoing and inappropriate" sexual relationship between a 39-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl.
Investigators learned that the girl had become acquainted with Litton about four years ago. Police said the relationship consisted of "several sexually oriented incidents" in different locations in Maryland and Delaware.
Police said Litton is employed as the principal of the Eastern Shore Junior Academy, a small, Seventh-day Adventist school in Sudlersville.
It is the policy of the Maryland State Police to not identify accusers in sex crime cases.
Litton is being held on a $25,000 bond at Kent County Detention Center.
Police presented a search warrant at Litton's Queen Anne's County residence Monday and seized his computer and several printed documents.
