A civilian employee for Tampa's Central Command is behind bars accused of traveling to Orlando to meet a 17 year-old boy for sex acts.

Steve Governale is also a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.

The 47-year-old works in the Protocol Office at MacDill Air Force Base. Officials there say he helped to coordinate VIP visits on the base.

His friends tell Bay News 9 Governale also helps to mentor young adults in the Civil Air Patrol program.

But the FBI says they were contacted last week by the parents of a 17-year-old boy in Seminole County who said they found sexually explicit messages from Governale on their son's Facebook page.

According to federal court documents, the teen told agents he attended a military conference with Governale and stayed in his hotel room. The teen also told agents the two rented an adult pornographic movie, and he and Governale shared the hotel room's king size bed.

The 17 year-old victim also said both committed sex acts during the stay.

After that conversation, undercover agents set up a Facebook chat with Governale, posing as the 17 year-old. Governale made arrangements to drive to Orlando to meet up with who he thought was the boy, and that's when the FBI made the arrest.

Dozens of Facebook chat logs show Governale talking about sex, according to the documents.

Governale's Facebook page indicates he's married with kids but his wife had no comment when contacted by phone.

Governale is behind bars on federal charges of unlawful sexual activity.

Officials at Central Command in Tampa had no comment on whether or not Governale would remain a civilian employee there, where he has been since 2008.

He has a court hearing in October.