EVANS CITY — A former Butler County man is accused of having a yearlong sexual relationship — much of it online — with a 15-year-old girl in Adams Township last year.

Devin P. Howes, 22, of Hilton Head, S.C., is charged with more than 1,200 criminal counts.

District Judge Wayne Seibel this morning arraigned Howes on two counts each of statutory sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault, and 413 counts each of unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and criminal solicitation.

Howes is free on $5,000 unsecured bail.

Adams Township police said Howes, while living in the area between September 2009 and September 2011, had a sexual affair online with the teen via Skype, which is a two-way video conferencing tool.

Investigators learned of the suspected relationship and sifted through the girl’s laptop computer, according to court documents.

Police said they reviewed more than 54,000 instant online messages totaling about 1,200 pages of conversation between the two.

Howes and the girl participated in daily webcam chats, which Patrolman Timothy Waibel described in charging documents as “extremely graphic.”

The two allegedly had sexual intercourse on two occasions, said prosecutor Richard Bosco, a county assistant district attorney.

The girl admitted to the relationship.

She identified Howes as her one time drum instructor, however, he was never employed by the Mars School District, district spokesman Josh Schwoebel.