St. Petersburg Karaoke Bar Owner Arrested on Child Porn Charges

Arrest and Charges

• 📌 Lucas Herz, owner of LALA karaoke bars in St. Petersburg and Tampa, faces 18 counts of possession of child pornography.
• ⚖️ He appeared before a judge and was granted a $180,000 bond, set at $10,000 per count.

Investigation Details

• 🔍 The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip from Dropbox regarding Herz's account in September.
• 💻 Investigators traced IP addresses to Herz and a LALA location in St. Pete, discovering 41 video files involving child abuse.

Court Proceedings and Conditions

• 👨‍⚖️ Herz, originally from France, stated he has a French passport, which was confiscated by police.
• 🏠 If he bonds out, he must wear a GPS monitor and is prohibited from violating pre-trial release conditions.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 His attorney inquired about his two minor children, aged five and eight, but the judge noted that the children are not the subject of the warrant, deferring concerns to DCF and other protective agencies.

Business Response

• 🏢 LALA ownership stated the information was unknown to the remaining owners and has been shocking.
• 🚫 Effective immediately, Herz has been removed from all on-site presence and any involvement in operations or management.
• 🤝 The business, described as a multi-member company, continues to operate independently, with remaining owners working with legal counsel.

Legal Next Steps

• 🗓️ Lucas Herz is scheduled to appear back in court in February.