The man alleged to be behind the anti-Muslim film that sparked violence across the world has denied violating the terms of his probation.
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is on probation following a conviction for bank fraud in 2010.
He denied breaching the terms by continuing to use aliases and lying about his role in putting the trailer for Innocence Of Muslims on the internet.
Nakoula, who is also associated with the names Mark Basseley Youssef and Sam Bacile, asked at a brief hearing in Los Angeles to be taken out of protective custody and allowed to mingle with other prisoners.
But prosecutors said his request, which would place the 55-year-old in close proximity to hundreds of inmates, was “unwise”.
Nakoula, a Coptic Christian originally from Egypt, fled his home in the LA suburb of Cerritos and went into hiding when protests erupted on September 11. He was detained on September 28.
The violence spread, killing dozens of people, and enraged Muslims demanded a severe punishment for Nakoula, with one Pakistani cabinet minister offering \$100,000 to anyone who kills him.
"My client was not the cause of the violence in the Middle East," Nakoula’s lawyer Steven Seiden told reporters outside the hearing.
"Clearly, it was pre-planned and it was just an excuse and a trigger point to have more violence."
None of Nakoula's alleged violations is directly connected to the content of the film, which is protected by the First Amendment of the US constitution and which depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a religious fraud, a womaniser and a paedophile.
But the terms of his earlier probation prevented him from using computers or the internet for five years and barred his use of any name other than his true legal name without approval.
Federal authorities are seeking two years in prison for Nakoula, who remains in custody. The next hearing will be held on November 9.
