Husband posing as Santa caught in Florida child predator operation

A Santa on the Naughty List

A man who impersonated Santa Claus and claimed to have hosted “thousands of children” has been arrested in a child sex sting operation.

Thomas Allen Hicks, 68, a seasoned Santa and preacher, allegedly responded to an online advertisement from an undercover officer posing as a parent willing to engage in sexual acts with his 13-year-old daughter, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

Hicks was taken into custody after he agreed to pay $200, while explicitly detailing the sexual acts he intended to perform on the child, even promising to “be nice,” according to the sheriff’s office.

“I spoke with the real Santa today, and let’s just say he was not happy,” Judd noted with a humorously serious tone during a press conference on Wednesday.

“He mentioned, ‘These individuals are tarnishing my name. I’ve traveled everywhere to deliver gifts to good children. Sheriff, good job locking him up.’

Judd pointed out that Hicks had been married for over 50 years and was regarded as reputable within the Santa Claus community.

The sheriff commented that “thousands of children have sat on this man’s lap, believing he was Santa, while in reality, he was a child sex offender,” highlighting Hicks’ participation in Christmas parades in Lake District for at least a decade.

A Lakeland resident, Hicks was among 19 individuals apprehended in this operation.

His charges include human trafficking, traveling to meet a minor, enticing a child through a computer, and utilizing a two-way communication device to commit a felony.

For more than 40 years, Hicks also served as a preacher and worked at Tri-County Behavioral Health, a mental health and substance abuse clinic in the area, according to the sheriff.

Despite his previous suspicions about a potential sting operation, Hicks admitted he was drawn to the girl in the ad and chose to meet her anyway. Furthermore, he acknowledged to detectives that even after decades of marriage, he frequently arranged encounters with prostitutes he found online.

Following his arrest, Hicks was terminated from his position at Tri-County Behavioral Health. The organization stated that he had no access to clients or their health records during his employment.

Over the course of a week-long multi-agency operation named Operation Child Protector VIII, 18 other alleged offenders were arrested across several counties in Florida.

Among these suspects, 16 contacted undercover agents posing as children or their guardians and traveled to meet them for sexual purposes. Additionally, three sent nude photos to an undercover investigator.