PITTSBURGH — A federal judge on Thursday approved a request to keep the Butler County District Attorney's Office investigation files for an alleged sexual assault private.

District Judge Mark R. Hornak granted the request for plaintiffs Alecia and Michael Flood Jr., who filed a lawsuit in October in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, claiming that their minor son, T.F., suffered as a result of alleged false sexual assault allegations.

The request will prevent a complete copy of the investigation file from the Butler County District Attorney's Office regarding the sexual assault reports from being released to lawsuit defendants who requested the materials in early November.

Hornak's approval of the request comes with the caveat that materials pertaining to the investigation are still gathered but held until another order from his court.

The Floods' lawyer, Craig L. Fishman, filed the protective order request out of worry that release of the documents may lead to the disclosure of information that is inappropriate, as it involves five minors.

The order was also requested, in part, because one family of defendants did not have representation, and “disclosure of the documents to them is likely to result in disclosure of the documents to the entire world via the internet,” according to Fishman's filing.

Read which defendant doesn't have a lawyer in the Butler Eagle.