Richard Dare made a splash last year as an outspoken entrepreneur turned arts administrator and started work on Jan. 2 as the president and chief executive of the New Jersey Symphony, with the promise that his business acumen would bring it new luster.

On Friday, nine days later, he resigned, citing a 1996 case in which he was charged with an “attempted lewd act upon” a 15-year-old girl, whom he later married. In a statement, Mr. Dare, 48, said he believed that “media attention to my family’s personal life will harm the organization and musicians I cherish, as well as needlessly embarrass my wife.”

Stephen Sichak, the orchestra’s co-chairman, said it knew about the charge when Mr. Dare was hired but that inquiries into the case from “friends of the symphony,” not reporters, began coming in. “Concerns about the public perception of this subject matter” emerged, Mr. Sichak said. “The situation has become a distraction and is keeping us from being able to do what we do best,” making music, so the board accepted Mr. Dare’s resignation.

The development came as a New York Times investigation into Mr. Dare’s background raised questions about aspects of his résumé and business accomplishments. Former associates have suggested that he exaggerated the extent of his business dealings, and evidence to support some of his claims — like his having testified frequently before Congress — could not immediately be found.