Pittsburgh firefighter accused of traveling to Virginia to have sex with child remains behind bars

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A firefighter accused of driving from Pittsburgh to Chesterfield County to have sex with a 10-year-old child will remain behind bars until his next court appearance.

Brian Kosanovich appeared before a judge inside Richmond’s federal courthouse Monday afternoon, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and shackled at the ankles.

The 57-year-old waived both his preliminary and detention hearings, and accepted a court-appointed attorney, telling the judge he didn’t have sufficient funds to hire his own lawyer.

The judge then remanded him back into the custody of U.S. Marshals, who returned him to Pamunkey Regional Jail.

As CBS 6 first reported last week, the U.S. Attorney has charged Kosanovich with coercion and enticement.

In graphic detail, a criminal complaint spells out the case against him, alleging that he used a social media app to strike up a relationship with someone he believed to be a mother willing to let Kosanovich engage in sex acts with her and her daughter.

In actuality, Kosanovich was interacting with an undercover member of the FBI Richmond Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, according to the complaint.

He was arrested February 18^th, shortly after arriving at the Chili’s restaurant at Chattanooga Plaza in Midlothian. Federal agents say that is where Kosanovich had arranged to meet the undercover agent.

A spokesperson for the City of Pittsburgh Public Safety and Bureau of Fire called the accusations against Kosanovich “deeply disturbing.” The veteran firefighter has been removed from duty and placed on unpaid administrative leave pending an investigation, the spokesperson said.

Kosanovich’s next court hearing has not yet been scheduled.