A New Zealand man facing a criminal charge after an alleged incident at New Zealand's embassy in Washington DC will keep his identity hidden - for now.

He faces a charge of intentionally attempting to make an intimate visual recording of another person at the diplomatic building in the American capital between July 26 and July 28 last year.

The man appeared in the Auckland District Court today following an earlier appearance this month.

Defence counsel Graeme Newell entered a not guilty plea and elected trial by jury on the man's behalf.

The sole issue of the trial will be identification, Newell told Judge Kevin Glubb.

Newell further argued for continued name suppression and said there was a potential prejudice to his client's fair trial rights and prejudice to potential witnesses who may come forward.

"Their evidence would be tainted," Newell said.

Crown solicitor Brian Dickey, opposing the application for name suppression, said there was no issue surrounding fair trial rights.

"These events happened in Washington in the confines of the embassy ... There was an extensive police investigation at that location," he told the court.

The court heard from Newell that publication of the man's name may also cause hardship to his employer and endanger the safety of his family.

Judge Glubb said he was not satisfied that the man's fair trial rights would be breached or that any of the other issues raised would create undue hardship if his name was published.

The judge made an order to lift the suppression of the accused's identity - however Newell immediately indicated he would appeal the judge's decision - resulting in suppression automatically being reimposed in the interim.

The case will be heard again in July.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other government ministries have directed questions about the case by the Herald to police.

Police have simply confirmed a person has been charged in relation to "an offshore matter".

The New Zealand embassy is located in an area of Washington called Embassy Row, where many countries have diplomatic outposts and attaches stationed.

New Zealand's current Ambassador to the United States is Tim Groser.