A 68-year-old Santa Claus impersonator is among 19 individuals who were recently arrested during an undercover sting to catch alleged child sexual predators in Florida, authorities said.
Thomas Hicks, of Lakeland, Florida, has been charged with human trafficking, traveling to meet a minor, use of a computer to seduce a child, and use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony, according to a Wednesday Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) press release. Polk County County Sheriff Grady Judd said Hicks is a “well-known” Santa Claus impersonator in Polk County, Central Florida and Lakeland, Fox 13 News reported.
Hicks allegedly responded to an advertisement on a known prostitution website from an undercover detective offering his fictional teenage daughter for commercial sex acts, according to the outlet.
Hicks allegedly told the undercover detective he would pay $200 to have sex with the girl and described the sex acts he wanted to perform on her in explicit detail, but claimed he would be gentle, according to the PCSO. In addition, Hicks also allegedly told the undercover detective he was hesitant to accept the offer posted in the advertisement because he feared being caught in a potential “sting,” FOX 13 News reported.
Authorities arrested Hicks after he let the undercover detective know he would be in the parking lot of a major retail store, the outlet reported. Following his arrest, Hicks allegedly told authorities he regularly visits known “prostitution sites” seeking prostitutes or companions despite being married for more than 50 years, the PSCO’s press release stated.
He allegedly claimed he was “intrigued” by the teenage girl in the advertisement and kept coming back to it, despite worrying about being caught in a sting, FOX 13 News reported, citing the arrest affidavit. The suspect acknowledged he should not think about or have contact with the fictitious teenage girl, according to the arrest affidavit.
Hicks claimed he was a preacher and worked at Tri-County Human Services as a marketing manager. His employment has been terminated following his arrest, a spokesperson told FOX 13 News. He did not have access to clients’ electronic health records and was unable to obtain child-related information during his employment, according to the spokesperson. (RELATED: REPORT: Fugitive Stripper Allegedly Attacks Man With Pole After Getting Fired)
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd reacted to Hicks’s arrest.
“He’s not going to be Santa Claus this next year,” Judd said, according to the outlet.
“Thousands and thousands and thousands of children have sat on this guy’s lap thinking he was Santa Claus when, in fact, he was a child sex predator,” he added.
The 18 other suspects were arrested on similar charges for a total of 85 felonies and eight misdemeanors, the PCSO said.
The PCSO began the undercover operation on April 20 with assistance from various law enforcement agencies, according to WFLA.