ANGELES — A former executive director of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County was arrested Friday for allegedly sending sexually explicit messages to a 16-year-old girl.

Scott Hounsell, 30, was booked on two misdemeanor counts of sending harmful matter to a child, Los Angeles police Lt. Andrea Grossman said. The girl told detectives Hounsell sent her sexually explicit chat messages on a social media website. Hounsell is being held on $40,000 bail.

According to his LinkedIn page, Hounsell has been a field representative and internship coordinator for California state Assemblyman Cameron Smyth.

Jonathan Wilcox, a spokesman for the county’s official Republican organization, said Hounsell resigned June 15. Wilcox said the organization didn’t know about the case until contacted by the LAPD on Friday.

“We take this issue very seriously and will fully cooperate with law enforcement any way we can,” Wilcox said.

The arrest was made by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force — one of 61 local and federal taskforces nationwide that focuses on online child victimization.

Calls to Hounsell and his family were not immediately returned.

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