Rear Adm. Stephen Williamson was relieved Friday as the director of industrial operations at Naval Sea Systems Command following an investigation into what officials said as an inappropriate relationship.

“The investigation found evidence of a consensual, but inappropriate, personal relationship," said NAVSEA spokeswoman Colleen E. O’Rourke in a prepared statement emailed to Navy Times.

Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, NAVSEA’s commander, removed Williamson as part of an administrative action and no charges have been preferred at this time, she added.

A statement from the Pentagon indicated that an investigation by the Navy’s Inspector General into the rear admiral’s “personal conduct” led Moore to lose confidence in his subordinate.

The Navy expects its leaders to maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct, and holds accountable leaders who fail to meet those standards," the message stated.

Williamson has been temporarily assigned to the Office of Naval Research.

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A Maryland native, Williamson was a career surface warfare officer who served on board the guided-missile destroyer Lynde McCormick and the guided-missile cruiser Long Beach, according to his official biography.

He also was the 48th commander of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility and later served as the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Director of Fleet Maintenance, his bio states.

He arrived at NAVSEA in late 2017.

A man who answered a call placed to a mobile telephone number listed for Williamson asked who was on the other line.

When told that he was talking to the editor of Navy Times, he said that he couldn’t hear and appeared to hang up.

Other calls to the same mobile phone number went straight to voice mail.

About Carl Prine

Prine came to Navy Times after stints at the San Diego Union-Tribune and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He served in the Marine Corps and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. His awards include the Joseph Galloway Award for Distinguished Reporting on the military, a first prize from Investigative Reporters & Editors and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

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