A 47-year-old man who went by the online name of "ChrisLewd" was returned to Los Angeles Monday to face charges in a federal indictment after his arrest earlier this month in Arizona as part of a Ventura County Child Exploitation Task Force investigation.
Christopher Michael Loza was charged in the indictment filed in United States District Court in Los Angeles with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material. The suspect was returned to Los Angeles Monday for his initial court appearance following his Aug. 2 arrest in Phoenix, where authorities said he fled after failing to appear for arraignment in the case.
The two-count indictment filed in January 2024 outlines an undercover operation in which Loza is accused of contacting someone in an online chatroom whom he believed to be a 15-year-old girl, according to an FBI news release. That person was actually an undercover officer.
Loza, living in Winnetka at the time, indicated he wanted to "engage in sexual activities," the FBI said. In a text message, he asked the individual whether he could come to her house and if he should bring condoms, according to the indictment. Loza drove to a park in Camarillo to meet the minor and had a flash drive that contained child pornography, according to the indictment.
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Loza was originally arrested on state charges filed in August 2023 in Ventura County, then released on bail. He failed to appear for his arraignment on charges of communicating with a minor with the intent to commit sexual acts and arranging to meet a child for sexual acts.
On Aug. 2, he was located by Phoenix police officers, who took him into custody after discovering the outstanding warrant.
A trial date was set for Oct. 7. If convicted of all charges in the indictment, Loza faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
