The Maine Attorney General’s office has filed enforcement action under the Maine Civil Rights Act against a Kittery man.

According to Attorney General Aaron Frey, Alexander Treshinsky, 35, hired a 35-year-old immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo to replace flooring in Treshinsky’s business.

“When the victim requested payment for the services, the defendant then sent the victim a series of threatening, vulgar, racist and xenophobic messages,” the Frey’s office stated in a news release Tuesday.

Frey said that “Treshinsky sent text messages that included vile, graphic, images and threatened to commit a sexual act against the victim’s daughter.”

The complaint asks the court to order Treshinsky to have no contact with the victim or victim’s family and to comply with the Maine Civil Rights Act.

“While the behavior of the defendant was grossly inappropriate under any circumstances, his actions are particularly egregious because he targeted the victim because of their race and national origin,” Frey said.

The Maine Civil Rights Act authorizes the attorney general to seek a court order against anyone who intentionally interferes or attempts to intentionally interfere with another’s legal rights through the threat of physical force or violence or engaging in conduct that would cause a reasonable person to suffer emotional distress.  

Violations are punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.