A 75-year-old New Orleans man who legally changed his name to Santa Claus was arrested over the weekend on allegations that he used a dating app to try to sexually prey on someone he believed to be a 15-year-old boy.
Details of the sting operation
Claus initiated contact through the app with an undercover detective posing as a 15-year-old boy as part of a sting operation by the Kenner Police Department in a New Orleans suburb. According to the police statement, Claus explicitly discussed engaging in sexual acts with the person he believed was a minor and arranged an in-person meeting in Kenner, home to New Orleans’ international airport.
Police Chief Keith Conley told the Guardian that Claus also sent illicit pictures of himself exposed. When Claus arrived at the meeting, he surrendered without resistance and was taken into custody.
Alarming persona
The police statement noted that Claus’s “physical appearances indicates he does take on the persona of the [Christmas] Santa Claus, which is alarming considering” he was allegedly trying to commit statutory rape. Conley elaborated that investigators found images of Claus posing as Santa Claus, calling the arrest a “cautionary tale to parents and guardians” about a person who dresses as Santa and invites children to sit on his lap for photos.
Claus faces charges of illegal computer-aided solicitation of a minor and indecent behavior with a juvenile. Conley said Claus was formerly named George Quigley and lived in Texas before moving to New Orleans. Other men across the US have also legally changed their names to Santa Claus, according to news reports.
Broader operation
Claus was one of 11 suspects arrested during the sting. The police cybercrimes division obtained warrants for 10 additional suspects who were not immediately captured. Charges against other suspects include criminal grooming behavior.
As of Tuesday morning, Claus remained jailed in New Orleans. Bail information was not immediately available. The Guardian left a message for comment on a phone number associated with Claus.
