A registered sex offender who said he has been dressing as Santa Claus-for-hire for 30 years was arrested Tuesday after failing to meet offender reporting requirements, investigators said. (Orange County Sheriff's Office)
Deputies in central Florida say a registered sex offender posted advertisements online as a professional Santa Claus.
WOFL reports that 48-year-old Robert Kendel used the name “Santa Bob” in ads on Craigslist, with a photo showing him dressed up as Santa Claus with a child on his lap.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Kendel is a registered sex offender, convicted of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 12 back in 1993.
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Orange County Sheriff’s deputies said they received a tip that Kendel was dressing up as Santa for holiday parties.
One investigator posed as someone interested in hiring Kendel for an event. Deputies arrested him once he arrived to the staged party, wearing his full costume of a red suit, black boots and a fake white beard.
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