The now-former chairman of the Anson Board of Selectmen faces accusations he assaulted a woman at a meat market he owns in town.

Arnold P. Luce, 68, was summoned on a Class E misdemeanor charge of assault, according to Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster.

Luce has since resigned as chairman of the Anson selectmen, submitting a letter of resignation to the town dated Aug. 10, according to Nancy Gove, Anson’s administration assistant, treasurer and tax collector, who read his resignation letter at Tuesday’s selectmen meeting.

Lancaster said the Sheriff’s Office received a complaint Aug. 7 of a “potential sex-offense” that had occurred in the town of Anson.

Deputy Stacey Slate responded to the complaint and met with a woman identified as the complainant and victim in the case.

The investigation indicated an incident occurred Aug. 6 at Luce’s Meats on Embden Pond Road in Anson. As a result of the investigation Luce was summoned on one count of assault, Lancaster said.

Online information indicates Arnold and Elaine Luce own Luce’s Meats, a slaughterhouse and processing plant.

Asked what Luce is accused of doing in the incident, Lancaster said Thursday, “I am not able to get into the details of the investigation. Only that at the conclusion of our investigation, we charged Luce with assault.”

Lancaster said if anyone has had a negative physical interaction with Luce, he encourages them to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 207-474-6386 and request to speak to a deputy. Lancaster said authorities would like to know if there are other victims.

Lancaster declined to discuss whether the alleged victim was injured in the incident.

Luce is scheduled for an initial court appearance Nov. 5 at Somerset County Unified Criminal Court in Skowhegan.

Luce has been a selectmen for many years, and was reelected this year, with his term to expire in 2028, according to town records.

A call to Luce’s Meats for comment was not returned Thursday.

Jim Smith, former vice chairman of the Anson board, was elected by board members as chairman after they voted, 4-0, to accept Luce’s resignation.

He said at Tuesday’s meeting that he knew nothing about Luce’s resignation other than what was in the brief resignation letter.

Luce turned in his keys to town property with his resignation letter.

“We’ve just lost a huge asset to this board, and this town,” Smith said of Luce’s resignation. “We don’t know why. That’s all we know, right there (in the letter).”

Gove said she spoke with Luce on Tuesday and he told her, “It has nothing to do with the town. But it was for personal reasons.”