A Pennsylvania attorney is facing a cyber-harassment charge after authorities say he sent obscene emails to a Sussex County public official.

The Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office said Karl R. Heideck, 45, of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, sent the emails to the official on Aug. 2.

According to prosecutors, the emails contained obscene and vulgar comments about the public official and her daughters. Prosecutors allege the messages were intended to cause emotional harm or make the official fear physical or emotional harm.

Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia condemned the alleged emails in a social media post, calling them “deranged garbage” and saying they went beyond legitimate political expression.

The Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office and Newton police investigated the emails and arrested Heideck, who prosecutors identified as a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.

Heideck was charged with cyber-harassment and was being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility pending his first appearance in Sussex County Superior Court. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in state prison.