WASHINGTON — The fired chief of staff for Senator Lamar Alexander made his first court appearance Thursday on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.
Ryan Loskarn answered softly, ''Yes, sir,'' when US Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola asked Loskarn whether he understood that he was charged with serious offenses.
Prosecutor Mi Yung Park argued that Loskarn, 35, was a flight risk and danger to society and asked the judge to hold him until a preliminary hearing Monday, when Loskarn will enter his plea. Facciola agreed to the prosecution's request.
He faces up to 10 years on the possession charge, with no minimum, and five to 25 years on the distribution charge.
According to a filing with the US District Court on Thursday, police used a ram to enter Loskarn's home the day before, and noticed that he put something on the ledge outside a window. It turned out to be a portable hard drive with videos depicting child pornography, according to the filing.
Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee, said he was ''stunned, surprised and disappointed'' by the allegations.