MULBERRY, Fla. — A Lakeland man accused of exposing himself to a 5-year-old girl inside a Mulberry Walmart has been arrested.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), deputies arrested 62-year-old David Hicks at his Lakeland home after investigators released surveillance video from the July 6 incident at the Walmart on Church Avenue North in Mulberry.
Investigators said a Walmart employee witnessed the suspect exposing himself to the child near the cold food section while the girl was shopping with her mother.
Detectives said surveillance video showed the suspect following the mother and child through the soda aisle before exposing himself through the zippered portion of his shorts in the cold food section.
The sheriff’s office said Hicks was identified after an anonymous tipster told Crime Stoppers the suspect was “David Hicks who did the same thing in Toccoa, Georgia.”
Deputies said detectives compared Hicks’ photo to the surveillance footage and determined he matched the suspect.
Investigators took Hicks into custody around 1 p.m. Thursday at his home on John David Place in Lakeland.
According to the sheriff’s office, Hicks refused to speak with detectives after his arrest.
Deputies said Hicks is charged with one count of indecent exposure, one count of lewd exhibition and one count of exposure of sexual organs.
The sheriff’s office said Hicks has prior arrests in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida dating back to 1991 involving indecent exposure and child molestation allegations.
Investigators also said Hicks is the younger brother of Thomas Hicks, a man who played "Santa" and was arrested during a Polk County human trafficking investigation and remains in the Polk County Jail on multiple felony charges.
Tampa Bay 28 is sharing his mugshot as PCSO continues to look for more possible victims.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim of Hicks or who witnessed similar behavior is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.
Tampa Bay 28 Mugshot Policy
When a mugshot is used
If the person is still on the loose and a potential threat to the community; if there is a good chance that showing the suspect would help identify additional victims or otherwise protect the public from a serious threat or if the crime or the suspect is of such a significant note that seeing them in a mugshot is in the greater public interest.
Using previous mugshots
Only if the story is specifically talking about that previous crime
We do not show mugshots of victims
This policy started in early 2021
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