CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- For the past three months, a violinist for the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra has contested an extradition order to Virginia for allegedly trying to solicit a minor for sex over the Internet.

Luigi Peracchia, 41, is charged with soliciting what he understood to be a 14-year-old girl using a computer, said Kraig Truxell, a spokesman for the Loudoun County (Va.) Sheriff's Department.

West Virginia State Police arrested him on March 24, while Peracchia was rehearsing at Shepherd University with the Montclaire String Quartet, a group of the symphony's top string players. He was held at Eastern Regional Jail for two days until he posted $25,000 bail.

Since then he has been suspended from the West Virginia Symphony, said David Gross, the symphony's president.

"It came as a complete shock," Gross said.

He read a statement from the symphony: "These events are in no way a reflection on the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra or its employees. The Symphony has taken the appropriate measures to distance itself from Mr. Peracchia including suspending him pending the outcome of his legal proceedings. This is both a personal tragedy and a family tragedy and we ask that you respect his family's privacy as much as possible."

Peracchia has been with the quartet and symphony since 2004. He was the principal second violin in the symphony, and part of his Montclaire duties was traveling to area schools to perform.

Besides his suspension, Peracchia also took a yearlong leave of absence without pay from the symphony and quartet. Gross said they are looking to fill his spot for the next year, pending the outcome of his trial.

Peracchia could not be reached for comment Wednesday. His lawyer, John Flannery, said his client has been allowed to pursue his career outside West Virginia, though he would not disclose the specific location. He still lives in the Charleston area.

A hearing in August is set to hear Flannery's claims that Peracchia's arrest -- which came on a fugitive warrant -- was "in the best case, reckless" because Peracchia was not a fugitive. He was never in Virginia, and the police knew where he was, Flannery said.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- For the past three months, a violinist for the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra has contested an extradition order to Virginia for allegedly trying to solicit a minor for sex over the Internet.

Luigi Peracchia, 41, is charged with soliciting what he understood to be a 14-year-old girl using a computer, said Kraig Truxell, a spokesman for the Loudoun County (Va.) Sheriff's Department.

West Virginia State Police arrested him on March 24, while Peracchia was rehearsing at Shepherd University with the Montclaire String Quartet, a group of the symphony's top string players. He was held at Eastern Regional Jail for two days until he posted $25,000 bail.

Since then he has been suspended from the West Virginia Symphony, said David Gross, the symphony's president.

"It came as a complete shock," Gross said.

He read a statement from the symphony: "These events are in no way a reflection on the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra or its employees. The Symphony has taken the appropriate measures to distance itself from Mr. Peracchia including suspending him pending the outcome of his legal proceedings. This is both a personal tragedy and a family tragedy and we ask that you respect his family's privacy as much as possible."

Peracchia has been with the quartet and symphony since 2004. He was the principal second violin in the symphony, and part of his Montclaire duties was traveling to area schools to perform.

Besides his suspension, Peracchia also took a yearlong leave of absence without pay from the symphony and quartet. Gross said they are looking to fill his spot for the next year, pending the outcome of his trial.

Peracchia could not be reached for comment Wednesday. His lawyer, John Flannery, said his client has been allowed to pursue his career outside West Virginia, though he would not disclose the specific location. He still lives in the Charleston area.

A hearing in August is set to hear Flannery's claims that Peracchia's arrest -- which came on a fugitive warrant -- was "in the best case, reckless" because Peracchia was not a fugitive. He was never in Virginia, and the police knew where he was, Flannery said.

In March, police executed a search warrant for Peracchia's computer when they entered his house in Charleston. They found his wife, who called her husband, who told her he was in Jefferson County practicing.

"The idea of him as a fugitive is as valid as the possibility that you and I are going to levitate during this conversation," Flannery said.

He added that his client had no idea police wanted him, and that Peracchia has no previous criminal record.

Peracchia is charged in of Virginia with using electronic means "for the purpose of soliciting, with lascivious intent, a person he knew or had reason to believe was a child under the age of 15," a Class 5 felony. He could serve up to 10 years in jail and face a fine of $2,500.

Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Ralph Lorenzetti, who is not handling the case directly, said his office has not heard much from Loudoun County and is reviewing the information they have.

He added that come August, a representative may attend the hearing in August to prove that there is a viable charge for the crime -- which he said is a fairly low standard.

In February, Sean Patrick, a Charleston Police Department officer was accused of soliciting sex from a minor, whom he sent a lewd photograph to. The FBI and the Loudoun County Sheriff's Department assisted that case.

Flannery used that as an example during May proceedings where he said that the matter was not raised in the proper jurisdiction. If anything, he said, it should be a federal matter.

Brandon Sims, assistant Jefferson County prosecutor, said there could be a jurisdiction issue and that "a question as to whether this is raised in the proper jurisdiction definitely is out there." She could not be reached for comment. The Loudoun County prosecutor was unavailable for comment as well.

Reach Jon Offredo at jonoffr...@wvgazette.com or call 304-348-5189.