A University of Maryland student awaiting trial on child pornography charges was arrested in a separate case this week after he arranged to have sex with someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl, authorities say.

Court documents describe how 18-year-old freshman Akshay Rajshekar walked to class Monday while discussing final plans to have sex with the girl and her father.

Rajshekar, a freshman from Salisbury, Md., was already facing charges of possession and distribution of child pornography following an investigation by the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office. He had been indicted and arrested in November, released on bond and allowed to return to school.

Crystal Brown, a university spokeswoman, could not say why Rajshekar was allowed to attend classes this spring while charged with numerous felony counts.

But on spring break last week, Rajshekar began searching for other people interested in child pornography, according to charging papers filed in federal court in D.C.

Rajshekar on March 18 answered a Craigslist advertisement posted by a man who told Rajshekar that he was into incest and was willing to share the girl with Rajshekar, according to charging documents.

"Wow, that's hot.. I really want to experience what it is like...," Rajshekar responded, according to charging documents. "...I have been trying to meet other [pedophiles] online with similar interest...it's hard as hell."

It turns out Rajshekar was chatting with a D.C. police detective.

Rajshekar told the undercover detective that he wanted to meet in person and have sex with the man's daughter, charging documents said. He then sent six pornographic images to the undercover detectives in a file called "Kindergarten."

Rajshekar and the detective chatted over several days and agreed to meet in the District to meet with the detective's purported 12-year-old girl.

Rajshekar said he lived in College Park and would have to take the Metro into D.C. after his 3 o'clock class Monday.

Rajshekar was arrested Monday evening when he showed up at the prearranged location. He was being held Wednesday without bond.

David Irwin, Rajshekar's attorney in the Wicomico case, said he learned of the investigation Tuesday and could not comment because he had not seen the charging documents or talked to his client yet.

smccabe@washingtonexaminer.com

smccabe@washingtonexaminer.com