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Tamara Broome, 31, has spent the past 15 days at the Pitt County Detention Centre in Greenville, North Carolina.
Looking pale with dark circles under her eyes, Ms Broome faced Pitt County District Court yesterday.
The university student is accused of attempting to coerce 17-year-old Jonathan Martini to leave Greenville and live with her in Australia.
The pair met online more than a year ago playing the medieval game World of Warcraft.
An online romance blossomed and the pair even discussed marriage.
Under North Carolina law, a minor is aged under 18. Investigators believe Jonathan may still have feelings for Ms Broome.
After reducing her bond from $US2 million to $US850,000 ($987,000) yesterday, Judge Charles Vincent warned Ms Broome to stay away from the teenager if she was able to raise the money to secure her release.
"The worst thing you could do is to try to contact this person or have anybody else contact this person," Judge Vincent told her.
Ms Broome, who wore a prison-issue navy top and baggy beige trousers, cut a lonely figure with no relatives or friends to lend support in court.
She spoke only once, saying, "I understand that" when the judge explained Jonathan could not drop the charges and the case was proceeding.
After the hearing, she was led to a prison van in handcuffs and shackles.
Ms Broome's case will go to a grand jury hearing of 18 citizens on July 23 to determine if there is enough evidence to indict her on attempted child abduction charges.
If indicted, she would be tried in the Superior Court and face a maximum sentence of 59 months in jail.
Detectives started investigating Ms Broome after Jonathan's mother Wanda Martini filed a missing person report on June 12. The teenager's father is fighting in Iraq.
Jonathan was picked up the same day at the Raleigh-Durham international airport, about to board a flight to Australia.
Investigators allege Ms Broome used her credit card to pay for his flight.
After Jonathan was returned home, police began examining his online relationship with Ms Broome.
They tracked her movements and found she was headed to the US. They waited at the Rocky Mount train station to arrest her on June 26.
Her court-appointed lawyer, Frank Harper II, argued during the seven-minute court hearing that her bond was excessively high.
Mr Harper said Ms Broome had no prior criminal history and the Pitt County Sheriff's Office was holding her Australian passport.
Of the 395 inmates in detention in Greenville only 12 had a bond equivalent or higher than Ms Broome's and eight of those were charged with murder, Mr Harper said.
He asked for her bond to be reduced because of the willingness of the minor involved.
Ms Broome will be required to stay in North Carolina until any possible trial.
Some bail bondsmen in the US will accept a 15 per cent payment of the full bond amount to secure an inmate's release.
By Stefanie Balogh
North Carolina
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