EVANS CITY — A 16-year-old girl testified today that she and a former band instructor at Mars High School carried on a three-month sexual tryst last year.

But the Adams Township girl, who was 15 at the time, admitted she initiated the relationship with 23-year-old Devin Howes of Hilton Head, S.C.

The girl’s testimony came during Howes’ preliminary hearing at the office of District Judge Wayne Seibel in Evans City.

Seibel ordered Howes held for court on more than 1,200 criminal counts in the case.

The girl told prosecutor Russ Karl that she and Howes began a friendly relationship in June 2010 while she was a Mars freshman.

She said that within a month’s time the two had sexual intercourse twice.

Adams Township police said during their investigation they reviewed more than 54,000 instant online messages totaling about 1,200 pages of conversation between the two.

Police began investigating the case soon after the girl sent another teacher an e-mail detailing the relationship.

Howes is charged with 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.

Employed at an aviation consultant business in Hilton Head, he is free on $5,000 unsecured bail.