As many as 19 people have been arrested during an undercover operation that focused on child predators. The week-long undercover investigation, 'Operation Child Protector VIII,' began April 20, and was launched by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and several law enforcement agencies.
Detectives worked with investigators from several different sheriff's offices, police departments, and the Florida Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division.
Sixteen of the suspects communicated with and solicited people 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 suspects are married, and three are military veterans.
One of the suspects was identified as Thomas Allen Hicks, a man who played Santa Claus at Polk County Christmas events.
Hicks, 68, responded to an ad on a known prostitution site posted by an undercover detective, who offered his fictitious 15-year-old daughter up for commercial sex acts.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said, 'We arrested Santa Claus.' 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.
