Man legally named Santa Claus arrested after allegedly trying to meet who he thought was teen boy for sex
Jun 30, 2026
KENNER mdash; Kenner Police have arrested a New Orleans man legally named Santa Claus after he allegedly arranged to meet and have sex with a person he believed was a teenage boy.nbsp;Claus, 75, allegedly initiated contact with an undercover detective posing as a 15-year-old via a dating app. The m
an discussed having sex with the teen and arranged to meet in Kenner, police said Monday.nbsp;When the man arrived at the predetermined meeting location, he was taken into custody by local authorities.nbsp;"His physical appearance indicates he does take on the persona of the Santa Claus, which is alarming considering he was attempting to have sex with a boy," Kenner Police said. "Now we have arrested a person who dresses up as Santa Claus, inviting parents to drop their young children in his lap for photo ops; this is a cautionary tale to parents and guardians," Chief Keith Conley said in a statement.nbsp;Claus was charged with computer-aided solicitation of a minor, indecent behavior with a juvenile and grooming charges.nbsp;The operation in which Claus was arrested also resulted in warrants being issued for 10 other people accused of computer-aided solicitation and related crimes. These include:nbsp;Carlos Lopez-Reyes, 29, Kenner resident Christopher Fava, 45, Metairie resident Faustino Salanicsam, 57, Kenner residentFrancisco Amaya-Paguada, 48, Baton Rouge resident Jamal Landry, 34, New Orleans resident Johnny Pierre, 31, New Orleans resident Jonathan Akers, 31, New Orleans resident Mario Herrera-Zeledon, 44, Kenner resident Melvin Walker, 43, Pascagoula, Mississippi, resident Michael Lousteau, 23, Luling residentPermalink| Comments
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