75-year-old legally named Santa Claus arrested in child exploitation sting operation

A 75-year-old man who legally changed his name to Santa Claus was arrested as part of an undercover sting targeting child predators (Image: Kenner Police Department/Facebook)

A man who legally changed his name to Santa Claus has been arrested in a police sting operation targeting child predators, authorities have confirmed.

The 75-year-old New Orleans man, formerly known as George Quigley, was photographed by police sporting a long grey beard and was clad in red at the time of his detention.

Kenner Police revealed that Claus had been taken into custody after allegedly arranging a face-to-face meeting with a detective posing as a 15-year-old boy.

He faces charges of illegal computer-aided solicitation of a minor and indecent behaviour with a juvenile.

The force stated that Claus had "discussed engaging in sexual acts with the child and ultimately arranged to meet" in Kenner. However, upon arriving at the location, he was greeted by detectives who promptly detained him, reports the Mirror.

Police arrested 'Santa Claus' as part of a widespread weekend-long operation (FILE IMAGE) (Image: Getty)

He was amongst 11 individuals arrested in separate operations conducted by Kenner Police last weekend.

A statement from Kenner Police on Facebook read: "Among those arrested was a person who has obtained the legal name of Santa Claus, 75, of New Orleans. The suspect initiated contact through a dating application with an undercover detective whom he believed to be a 15-year-old boy.

"During those conversations, he allegedly discussed engaging in sexual acts with the child and ultimately arranged to meet the juvenile in person in Kenner.

"When the suspect Clause arrived at the predetermined meeting location, detectives took him into custody without incident. His physical appearance indicates he does take on the persona of the Santa Clause which is alarming considering he was attempting to have sex with a boy."

Chief Keith Conley said: "All these defendants are a danger to our youth and society, we preach daily about the vulnerability of our children on social media and gaming platforms and now we have arrested a person who dresses up as Santa Clause inviting parents to drop their young children in his lap for photo ops, this is a cautionary tale to parents and guardians."

The Police Chief added: "Anyone who uses the anonymity of the internet to exploit children should understand one thing-we are there too. Our investigators will continue to identify these predators, build strong cases, and bring them to justice before they have the opportunity to victimise a child."