WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A sex offender accused of killing an aspiring dancer from Brooklyn is trying to move his trial out of the upstate New York county where he lives.

Lawyers for 25-year-old Michael Mele have asked the Appellate Division for a change of venue.

Defense attorney Craig Brown says publicity about the case has been extensive and prejudicial. He says that has tainted the pool of jurors in Orange County, N.Y.

The 25-year-old Mele, a Wallkill, N.Y., resident, has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter. Texas-born Laura Garza was last seen with him in 2008. Her body was found last year.

District Attorney Frank Phillips says the motion is premature.

He says there’s no way to tell if the jury pool has been tainted before jury selection begins.