WASHINGTON (AP) — A former chief of staff for Sen. Lamar Alexander has asked a judge to release him from custody and let him live with his parents as he faces federal child pornography charges.
Ryan Loskarn, 35, was arrested Wednesday on charges of possessing child pornography and attempting to distribute it. A judge ordered him detained pending another court appearance Monday.
Loskarn’s lawyers filed a motion Friday requesting that be freed from custody and released to his parents, who live in Maryland. They say he is prepared to give up his passport, undergo a mental health evaluation and avoid contact with underage children, among other conditions.
“Without tracing every step in his career, Mr. Loskarn has an impressive employment record that has included increasing responsibilities and authority. He has no history of drug or alcohol abuse and Mr. Loskarn’s background suggests that he is a decent, hardworking, loyal employee, friend and family member,” the lawyers wrote.
Prosecutors accuse Loskarn of making purchases in 2010 and 2011 from a movie production company whose films feature young nude boys. They say investigators identified Loskarn’s residential IP address on a peer-to-peer network offering files “with names that are consistent with child pornography broadcasting as a download candidate.”
Authorities arrested Loskarn after using a ram to break into his Washington home. Police who went to the home said they saw him place an item on a ledge outside a window that was later determined to be a portable hard drive with videos depicting child pornography.
Loskarn’s attorneys have not responded to the allegations and one of his attorneys, Stuart Sears, declined to comment Saturday. But in their bond motion, they contend that a written summary of allegations filed against Loskarn is “less clear” about whether he ever knowingly or intentionally tried to distribute pornographic videos.
Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, fired Loskarn the day he was arrested.
“The courts will determine his guilt or innocence, but the information in the complaint is repugnant and disturbing,” Alexander said in statement.
Loskarn had been Alexander’s chief of staff for two years.
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