san fernando valley

Death Metal Band Singer Arrested for Attempting to Meet With Teen Girl

Lane Steele Kozloff allegedly tried to meet with minor for sex, was greeted by federal agents

The lead singer of a death metal band was arrested earlier this week after allegedly arranging to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl for sex in Torrance, federal officials said.

Lane Steele Kozloff, a 29-year-old from Sherman Oaks and frontman of the band Kauze, had prepared a bed in the back of his vehicle when he went to meet with the girl near the Lazy Dog restaurant in Torrance, who was really an undercover federal agent, said officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, which handled the incident.

He was then arrested and booked at the Los Angeles Police Department Pacific Station on suspicion of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, authorities said. He posted $75,000 bail and was released, officials confirmed.

Federal investigators became interested in Kozloff after he allegedly placed an ad on Craigslist searching for a "lil girl" in September, officials said. They said he also worked at a music school in the San Fernando Valley as a substitute teacher.

The link to Kauze's Facebook page appears to have been disconnected.

Officials said Kozloff is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 27.

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