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Man Who Played Santa in Florida Arrested in Sex Crime Sting: Affidavit

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is scheduled to brief the public tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. following a massive undercover investigation that resulted in 19 arrests targeting child predators. The multi-day operation, dubbed 'Operation Child Protector VIII,' began April 20.
Law enforcement agencies across Florida, including the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Florida Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division, collaborated to identify individuals responding to online advertisements claiming to offer minors for commercial sexual acts.
Among the 19 arrested was Thomas Allen Hicks, 68, a marketing employee at Tri-County Human Services known for playing Santa, charged with human trafficking and soliciting a guardian of a 13-year-old child. Sixteen suspects faced traveling-to-meet charges; three faced human trafficking counts.
Despite expressing concerns about a potential sting, Hicks continued exchanging messages with the undercover detective, mentioning 'oral' contact and wanting to assess 'the vibe is right,' before showing up to a retail parking lot where law enforcement arrested him. Tri-County Human Services terminated his employment.
During questioning, Hicks admitted he had been married over 50 years but regularly visits prostitution sites for 'hookers' and 'companions,' and acknowledged knowing the advertisement was for a 13-year-old despite remaining 'intrigued' by the decoy. The top charge carries up to 30 years in prison.

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