A Butler man charged last year by local authorities for allegedly filming a minor performing sexual acts is facing similar charges in federal court, according to court records.

In November, Thomas P. Romspert, 29, was charged in Butler County with five felony counts related to the alleged exploitation of a 16-year-old girl. The alleged crimes occurred between May and Oct. 24.

On Tuesday, the federal government filed a grand jury indictment accusing Romspert of coercing a minor into performing “sexually explicit conduct” for the purpose of filming it and distributing it through electronic devices such as a computer, according to the indictment.

In the original county charges, police said on Oct. 28 authorities received a ChildLine report about the possible exploitation of the victim. State agents spoke to the girl, who told them that she met Romspert through a mutual friend, according to charging documents.

She recounted that he eventually began taking “photos and video (of her) engaging in sex acts,” the documents said. “(She) stated that the images and videos taken by (the defendant) are on her phone.”

The agents viewed the images, investigators said, that depicted the victim “nude and engaged in indecent sexual contact.” The girl said the defendant knew she was “young enough to get him in trouble.”

For the local case, Romspert was formally arraigned Jan. 26 on four felony counts of photographing, videotaping, depicting on a computer or filming sexual acts and one count of criminal use of a communication facility. Romspert is in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bond.

Federal prosecutors didn't return a request to explain why they chose to charge him in federal court. Romspert does not have a listed attorney. In the local case, his attorney could not be reached for comment.

State agents began their investigation after the Butler County Sheriff's deputies showed up at his apartment with an unrelated bench warrant Oct. 24, authorities said. The 16-year-old victim was at the home.

Romspert fled out a second-story window and ran away, investigators said. Butler police found him later that day, and he was taken into custody and jailed on the warrant.