by Associated Press
Thursday, July 2, 2009
One of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra's top violinists is fighting extradition to Virginia on charges he used the Internet to try and entice a 14-year-old girl into having sex.
Luigi Peracchia was arrested in March by State Police acting on a warrant issued by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Department.
Police say the 41-year-old violinist solicited what he thought to be an underage girl for sex.
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John Flannery, Peracchia's lawyer, says the case hasn't been raised in the proper jurisdiction, and that it should be a federal matter.
An August hearing is scheduled.
Symphony President David Gross says Peracchia has been suspended and has taken a yearlong leave of absence without pay.
Peracchia played with the Montclair String Quartet, a group of the symphony's top players.
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