ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — 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.
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.
The Orlando Sentinel reports Kendel told authorities he didn’t know he had to report his work as Santa as part of his sex offender requirements. He has reportedly been paid for appearances at private events since 2009.
Kendel now faces a charge of being a sex offender who failed to report.
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