POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A 68-year-old Winter Haven man who portrayed Santa at major Christmas events in Polk County was arrested last week after investigators say he attempted to solicit sex from someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
WATCH: Man who plays 'Santa' in Lakeland Christmas events arrested in human trafficking sting: PCSO
Thomas Hicks was charged with human trafficking after soliciting a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was posing as a 13-year-old girl during a Polk County Sheriff’s Office undercover operation.
Hicks, 68, plays “Santa” at major Christmas events in Lakeland and across Polk County, according to the arrest report. The City of Lakeland says he has portrayed Santa in the city’s annual Christmas parade for the past three years, including during the 44th Annual Lakeland Christmas Parade last December.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd highlighted Hicks’ role in the community during the news conference.
WATCH: Deputies hold press conference after man who plays Santa in Polk Christmas events arrested in human trafficking sting
“This is a guy . . . who is well known in Polk County and Central Florida and Lakeland as a for-hire Santa Claus," Judd said. “He’s a preacher, I’m told, of 40 years. He is a professional Santa Claus. He is well-regarded in the community.”
“My initial reaction was I was elated. It warmed my heart that we arrested the “Santa Clause Lite,” because he was in a position of trust, where people all across this community trusted him and trusted him for years," the sheriff continued.
According to the affidavit, Hicks responded to an online advertisement and later spoke by phone with an undercover detective posing as a father trafficking his teenage daughter. During that call, deputies say Hicks agreed to pay $200 for sex with the child.
On April 21, Hicks told the undercover agent he was sitting in a parking lot at a shopping center in Lakeland. Deputies say he was taken into custody at that location.
Investigators say Hicks had $382 in his wallet at the time of his arrest, including two $100 bills, the agreed-upon amount for the encounter.
During questioning, Hicks told investigators he has been married for more than 50 years but regularly visits prostitution websites, according to the affidavit.
Hicks is one of 19 people arrested as part of “Operation Child Protector VIII,” a multi-day undercover investigation targeting individuals seeking to exploit children.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says the operation involved multiple local, state, and out-of-state agencies and focused on individuals who use the internet to target minors and travel to meet them.
According to investigators, 16 suspects are accused of communicating with someone they believed to be a minor or a child’s guardian and then traveling to meet them. Three suspects, including Hicks, face human trafficking charges for offering to pay to have sex with a child.
In total, the 19 suspects face a combined 85 felony and eight misdemeanor charges.
Law enforcement leaders say cases like these highlight how predators are using phones and online platforms to try to reach children.
“You get one chance to raise your children. One. And you need to be involved in every aspect of their life including digging deep into that cell phone and seeing what they’re doing online and seeing who they’re chatting with,” said Auburndale Police Chief Terry Storie.
Although the operation involved undercover detectives posing as minors and no real victims, prosecutors say these cases expose a very real threat and are carefully built to withstand common defenses such as entrapment.
“We’re at these operations. We’re strategizing with the undercover detectives to make sure that we have the work that needs to be done,” said State Attorney Brian Haas.
Haas added that similar cases brought through these types of operations have historically resulted in high conviction rates.
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Chad Mills calls Polk County home and has witnessed the area’s growth firsthand. He is focused on sharing stories from his neighbors in Lakeland. You can use the form below to connect with Chad.
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