AUGUSTA — The former director of Kennebec County Emergency Management Agency pleaded not guilty Tuesday to stalking and criminal invasion of computer privacy charges in court at the Capital Judicial Center.

Arthur E. True, former director of the Kennebec County Emergency Management Agency, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to stalking and criminal invasion of computer privacy charges in court at the Capital Judicial Center Jessica Lowell/Kennebec Journal file

Arthur E. True, 50, of Albion, was charged in January with allegations he copied computer information without authorization and stalked a co-worker while he worked as director of the agency, in April 2023.

He faces three charges, the most serious a Class C charge of aggravated criminal invasion of computer privacy, punishable by up to five years in prison. He’s also faces a Class D charge of stalking, and a Class D charge of criminal invasion of computer privacy. Class D charges are generally punishable by less than a year in prison.

The charges of aggravated criminal invasion of computer privacy and criminal invasion of computer privacy both allegedly took place April 15, 2023. The aggravated charge alleges he intentionally made an unauthorized copy of computer information. And the second charge alleges he intentionally accessed a computer resource knowing that he was not authorized to do so, according to a May indictment.

The stalking charge complaint alleges that on or about April 1-30, 2023, “True did intentionally or knowingly engage in a course of conduct directed at or concerning” a woman who has confirmed to the Kennebec Journal that she was an employee of Kennebec County when the alleged action by True occurred. The indictment states True’s conduct “… would cause a reasonable person to suffer serious inconvenience or emotional distress.”

The woman, whom the Kennebec Journal is not naming, said she worked as an emergency management specialist education coordinator for Kennebec County for 11 months, the first four of which True was director.

True was director of the agency for 10 months, until he resigned in April 2023. He wrote in a brief note to Kennebec County Administrator Scott Ferguson that he was stepping down for the betterment of the department and county and for personal reasons.

True was appointed agency director in June 2022, succeeding Sean Goodwin, who retired. True had served as deputy director and worked for more than a decade in various capacities in county emergency management. He has also been a firefighter in Augusta.

The county has since hired a new emergency management director, Angela Molino.

Darrick Banda, True’s attorney, indicated in court there have been some initial discussions about a potential plea agreement with state prosecutors.

The case is currently scheduled for docket call in September.