WORCESTER A U.S. judge on Friday ordered the Air National Guardsman accused of leaking military secrets to remain in federal custody as he awaits trial on charges he violated the Espionage Act.

Magistrate Judge David Hennessy made the decision after lawyers for Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, had sought for him to be released to house arrest pending trial. Teixeira, arrested on April 13, is the primary suspect in the disclosure of U.S. documents related to the Ukraine war and numerous other topics - an embarrassing leak that has caused U.S. government soul-searching about its failure to protect vital national security secrets.

(Reporting by Timothy McLaughlin; writing by Jasper Ward; editing by Caitlin Webber)