Story highlights Three U.S. defense officials named the Navy officer as Lt. Cmdr. Edward Lin

The charges levied include espionage, attempted espionage, prostitution and adultery

(CNN) A Navy officer charged with espionage was arrested as he boarded a flight to mainland China, a U.S. defense official told CNN.

Three U.S. defense officials named the Navy officer as Lt. Cmdr. Edward Lin. Multiple attempts by CNN to reach Lin, his family or his attorney have been unsuccessful.

Lin was arrested about eight months ago, but information about his case didn't become available until after a preliminary hearing Friday. Key parts of the charging sheet are still redacted.

A defense official told CNN Monday that investigators are still trying to determine who Lin was spying for, with China a strong possibility.

The full scope and breadth of the information provided is unclear, the official said, but the suspicions stem from the work he was doing at the time of his arrest.

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