Grady Judd: Polk County man known for playing Santa busted in undercover human trafficking sting
Man who dresses as Santa arrested in child predator sting
A man known for playing Santa Claus at Polk County Christmas events was one of nearly 20 people arrested during an undercover operation that focused on child predators. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A man known for playing Santa Claus at Polk County Christmas events was one of nearly 20 people arrested during an undercover operation that focused on child predators.
Operation Child Protector VIII
The backstory:
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and several law enforcement agencies launched a week-long undercover investigation, "Operation Child Protector VIII" that focused on child predators, beginning April 20, 2026.
Grady Judd announces Santa’s arrest
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gives an update on an undercover sting that led to the arrest of a man known for playing Santa Claus.
Detectives worked with investigators from several different sheriff's offices, police departments, and the Florida Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division to arrest 19 suspects.
By the numbers:
Sixteen of the suspects communicated with and solicited who they thought were children or guardians of children online, and were charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex. Three suspects sent nude photos to the undercover detectives, and five suspects were from outside Polk County. Seven of the suspects are married, and three are military veterans. Three of the suspects were charged with human trafficking, for offering to pay to have sex with a child.
In total, the suspects are collectively charged with 85 felonies and 8 misdemeanors.
Santa arrested
Dig deeper:
According to an arrest affidavit, Thomas Allen Hicks, 68, who often plays Santa, 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 sex acts.
"We arrested Santa Claus," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "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 claimed to be a preacher for more than 40 years, played Santa at the Lakeland Christmas parade for at least the last decade.
"He’s not going to be Santa Claus this next year," Judd stated.
The sheriff added, "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 told the undercover detective he was hesitant because of the possibility of being caught in a ‘sting.’
Hicks was arrested after letting the undercover detective know that he was in the parking lot at a major retail store.
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
After his arrest, Hicks reportedly told investigators that even though he’s been married for more than 50 years, he regularly goes on prostitution sites looking for "hookers" and "companions."
The affidavit states that Hicks said he was attracted to the female in the ad because she was petite and even though he had feelings that it may be a sting, he kept coming back because he was "intrigued."
Hicks, according to the document, admitted that he knew the ad was for a girl who was 13 years old, and acknowledged that he should not have had continued contact or sexual thoughts about her.
The document states that Hicks said he wasn’t sure if he would have tried to have sex with the child victim if he knew she was real.
According to the affidavit, the suspect was calm while being interviewed, but did show emotion when asked about his wife or his reputation.
Hicks 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.
Hicks has been terminated
What they're saying:
"I talked to the real Santa Claus today and he’s pissed," Judd said with a smirk. "He said it’s people like that who give me a bad reputation and I spend all this time going all around the world giving presents to all the good boys and girls. Sheriff, I’m glad you got him locked up."
"You can’t fix these people," Judd explained. "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."
In a statement to FOX 13, Tri-County Human Services said that Hicks, who was a marketing manager, was terminated.
The company added, "Tri-County supports the Polk County Sheriff’s office in their investigation and activities to maintain the safety of the community. 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."
Auburndale Police Chief Terry Storie says these suspects were caught, but there are many more out there. To protect children — parents need to become more involved in their lives.
"The most frustrating thing they'll say is, ‘I just want to give my kids privacy.’ That is a load of crap," Storie said. "You get one chance to raise your children, and you need to be involved in every aspect of their life and digging deep into that cell phone, and seeing what they're doing online and who they're chatting with."
The Source: This article was written with information in a press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office as well as an arrest affidavit for Thomas Hicks.