Filmmaker to wait in jail for trial

A Salt Lake City filmmaker will remain jailed pending trial on charges that he traveled to Los Angeles to have sex with an underage girl, a federal magistrate ordered Monday.

Gilbert Medina had been released to a local halfway house while he awaits trial on two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. However, U.S. Magistrate David Nuffer revoked Medina's pretrial release after the discovery that Medina had been indirectly communicating with witnesses via his MySpace page on the Web.

"There has been significant and disturbing content — the content is disturbing, the frequency is disturbing — and it all violates the pretrial orders," Nuffer said.

Medina was released after charges were filed in October largely so that he could finish production of the film "Jack's Law," an action movie filmed in Utah. On Monday, defense attorney Bob Steele said Medina was close to finishing the film. Nuffer disagreed, noting that Medina has had to reshoot scenes and said the "prospect is slim" the movie will be finished anytime soon.

Federal prosecutors allege Medina, 38, took a minor on a trip to Los Angeles for the purpose of having sex with her. Court documents indicate Medina may have videotaped portions of his activities with the girl both in California and at his downtown Salt Lake condominium.

Trial in the case is scheduled to begin Aug. 27 in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City.