WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A man known for playing Santa Claus at Christmas events in Central Florida was one of 19 people arrested during an undercover operations last month that focused on child predators, authorities said.
Thomas Allen Hicks, 68, was arrested on April 21, according to Polk County Sheriff’s Office online booking records. He was 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, online records show.
“I talked to the real Santa Claus today, and he was pissed,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference. “Santa Claus said, ‘It’s people like that (that) give me a bad reputation.’
“We arrested Santa Claus,” Judd added. “But I want all the children who are watching to know that it is not the real Santa Claus. This is a guy though who is well-known in Polk County and Central Florida and Lakeland as a for-hire Santa Claus.”
Hicks, who has claimed to be a preacher for more than 40 years -- he was a pastor for the First Alliance Church of Lakeland in 2009, according to WFLA.
Hicks has played Santa at the Lakeland Christmas parade for the past decade, WTVT reported.
“He’s not going to be Santa Claus this next year,” Judd said. “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.”
Hicks was among those arrested after multiple law enforcement agencies executed “Operation Child Protector VIII,” WFTV reported.
Officials said the suspects collectively face 85 felony charges and eight misdemeanors, according to the television station.
According to an arrest affidavit, Hicks allegedly responded to an ad on “a known prostitution site” posted by an undercover detective that offered his fictitious 15-year-old daughter up for commercial sexual acts.
The affidavit included a recorded telephone conversation between Hicks and the undercover agent on April 20 and 21. According to court records, Hicks allegedly agreed to pay $200 and set up a meeting time in the parking lot of a major retail store in Lakeland.
Hicks allegedly told the fictitious father that he was aware of the conversation’s sexual tone and repeated several times he was worried he was being led into “a sting.”
“But he kept coming back because he was intrigued,” the affidavit stated.
Hicks went to the site and was arrested by deputies. His wallet contained $382, which included two $100 bills -- the amount allegedly agreed to earlier.
According to the affidavit, Hicks works for Tri-County Behavioral Health in Polk County in the marketing department.
Larry Litte, the city of Lakeland’s communications director, confirmed to WFLA that Hicks had been a contracted vendor by the city for previous holiday events.
“Public Safety is a priority for the City of Lakeland, and the City remains committed to ensuring we are providing a safe environment in all City operations to protect our community,” Litte told the television station in a statement.
Donn VanStee, administrative director for Tri-County Human Services, Inc., said that Hicks has been terminated from his position, WFLA reported. VanStee added that Hicks had passed the required background checks before he was hired.
“Tri-County supports the Polk County Sheriff’s office in their investigation and activities to maintain the safety of the community,“ Van Stee said. ”Mr. Hicks did not have access to clients or their electronic health record and was not able to gather any data related to child information at any time during his employment.”
“You can’t fix these people,” Judd said. “They’ve got a hitch in their giddy up. Their elevator don’t go all the way to the top. It stops at P -- pedophile floor. It stops at P- predator floor. It stops at C -- Child predator floor. These are dangerous people.”
Hicks will appear in court again on May 26, online court records show.
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