VINALHAVEN — The Maine Attorney General’s Office has filed a civil rights complaint against a local teen-age boy over physical and verbal intimidation of a man he called a homosexual.

The complaint filed Tuesday in Knox County Superior Court at Rockland charges that on numerous occasions 16-year-old Joshua Anthony of Vinalhaven made homophobic slurs to a male island resident he thought to be homosexual. The boy also was cited for slashing the man’s tires in broad daylight. The events occurred on the island last fall.

In bringing her complaint, Assistant Attorney General Margaret P. Moss noted that under the state’s civil rights statutes, “a person has a right to engage in lawful activities without being subjected to the threat of physical force or violence, damage or destruction of property or trespass on property by reason of race, color, sex, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation.” A fine of up to $5,000 may be levied for each violation of the statute.

The complaint states that in the fall of 1996, Anthony made comments such as “fag” and “queer,” accompanied by obscenities, aimed at the man, and threatened his life. During a subsequent interview with a Knox County deputy sheriff, Anthony allegedly said he hated homosexuals so much he wished they would leave the island.

On Dec. 4, 1996, the juvenile is alleged to have slashed the front and rear tires of the man’s automobile.

As a result of Anthony’s “homophobic slurs,” according to the complaint, the victim “has withdrawn from his community and has become more reclusive. He is distrustful of others and feels that he must constantly guard his property in order to keep it safe.”

The state has asked for a preliminary injunction to prevent Anthony from continuing his behavior and asked the court for an expedited hearing into the matter. A court clerk said presiding Justice John Atwood had a full calendar this month and as a result was unsure when a hearing date could be scheduled.

Assistant Attorney General Steve Wessler, head of the civil rights division, said the division has recorded a high success rate with such cases when brought to court. He said the action was filed against Anthony to protect the victim.

“We’ve brought the case, and our primary objective is to make sure that this man is safe and that this juvenile is not targeting this man or his property. We hope to stop this before it gets worse,” Wessler said Tuesday.