Mar. 23—State prosecutors filed a motion Thursday to keep in custody pending trial a man accused of messaging and trying to meet a person he thought was an underage girl.

Joseph Vukosovich, 51, of Albuquerque, was arrested Tuesday at the Coronado Condominiums in Santa Fe following a monthslong undercover operation in which a Santa Fe police detective posed as a 12-year-old girl who exchanged messages with Vukosovich beginning in January.

The defendant is accused of driving to the apartment complex to meet the girl. According to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court, Vukosovich sent investigators graphic descriptions of sex acts he wanted to perform, requested nude and semi-nude photos from the girl and sent obscene pictures of himself.

Vukosovich appeared from the Santa Fe County jail during a virtual hearing Thursday in Magistrate Court. Judge David Segura read out Vukosovich's charges during the proceeding, along with the maximum amount of time he could spend in prison for each count.

When tallied up, Vukosovich could face a maximum of 80 years in prison and a $35,000 fine if convicted.

A pretrial detention hearing had not been scheduled in District Court as of Thursday afternoon. However, Segura told Vukosovich it would occur within the next seven to 10 days.