Shopping mall Santa Claus arrested on child pornography charges in North Carolina
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Authorities in Raleigh say a man who was arrested over the weekend on child pornography charges worked as a shopping mall Santa Claus.
Local media outlets report that 63-year-old Leander Dewey Jones of Raleigh is charged with three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Triangle Santa Buddies founder Al Capehart says Jones is a member of the organization. Its website said he joined last year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Capehart says Triangle Santa Buddies doesn't perform background checks on its members. Capehart also notes that Jones had no prior criminal records, so a background check would have found nothing on hm.
Jones is being held in the Wake County jail under a $600,000 bond. Online records don't indicate whether he has an attorney to contact for comment on the case.