Loskarn indictment delayed, motion hints of possible plea deal

A judge agreed to a 30-day delay to bring an indictment on child pornography charges against the fired chief of staff for Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. Court documents indicated U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola, with the District of Columbia federal court, approved the postponement in bringing an indictment against Jesse Ryan Loskarn, sought because of the holiday season and because "much of the forensic work has not yet been completed," Roll Call reported Tuesday. The deadline to bring an indictment on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography was pushed back to Feb. 10. Prosecutors had faced a January deadline. The motion seeking the extension also indicated the parties intend to explore the possibility of a pre-indictment disposition. Attorneys defending Loskarn said in an email to Roll Call they had no comment on the extension or their client's status. Loskarn was released into the custody of his parents, Chuck and Laura Loskarn, Dec. 16 for supervised detention in their Sykesville, Md., home. Prosecutors raided Loskarn's Washington, D.C., home in November, removing a laptop computer and other potential evidence. In court filings since then, federal prosecutors said Loskarn had for several years ordered child pornography over the Internet from a Toronto-based company that promises both streaming online videos and DVDs sent by mail. Prosecutors said Loskarn made "several purchases" from November 2010 to March 2011. Court documents state "the majority of these films features young nude boys." Alexander fired Loskarn the same day the allegations were made public.