Florida Man Arrested for Exposing Himself to 5-Year-Old Girl and M*sturbating at Walmart
A Florida man caught on video exposing himself to a 5-year-old girl at a Walmart in Mulberry has been arrested, and deputies say he is the brother of a man known locally as 'Santa Claus' who was arrested earlier this year in a human trafficking sting.
A Florida man caught on video exposing himself to a 5-year-old girl at a Walmart in Mulberry has been arrested, and deputies say he is the brother of a man known locally as "Santa Claus" who was arrested earlier this year in a human trafficking sting.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) said Thursday that 62-year-old David Hicks was arrested and charged with indecent exposure, lewd exhibition, and exposure of s*xual organs.
How The Arrest Unfolded
Hicks was identified after the exposure incident, which occurred on July 6. Two days later, the sheriff's office published a Crime Stoppers video on social media asking the public for help identifying him.
Florida Man Charged In Walmart Indecent Exposure Case
On July 9, the sheriff's office received an anonymous tip stating that the suspect was David Hicks, who had done the same thing in Toccoa, Georgia. When detectives examined Hicks' photo, they said he resembled the suspect seen in surveillance footage from the store. US: Couple Arrested After Allegedly Grooming 14-Year-Old for S*x in Michigan.
Hicks was taken into custody around 1 p.m. Thursday when detectives went to his home in Lakeland. He has so far refused to speak with detectives, PCSO said.
Brother Of Convicted 'Santa' Facing Trafficking Charges
During the arrest, detectives learned that David Hicks is the younger brother of Thomas Hicks, the 68-year-old man previously known locally as Santa Claus until he was arrested in a human trafficking sting in Polk County. Thomas Hicks remains in the Polk County Jail facing multiple charges, including allegedly attempting to have s*x with who he believed was an underage girl.
Sheriff Describes Incident As 'Family Affair'
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd detailed the incident, saying, "We got a senior citizen who went into Walmart, stalked the mother and a 5-year-old little girl, and then, when mother was distracted shopping in one of the displays, he exposes himself in her presence."
Judd added, "And then, he walks past her and m*sturbates in the store, in the middle of the day. Fortunately, a great Walmart employee saw this and immediately took action." US: Man Who Legally Changed Name to ‘Santa Claus’ Arrested in Child S*x Crime Sting Operation.
After confirming David Hicks' connection to Thomas Hicks, the sheriff remarked, "Ladies and gentlemen, you are talking about a family affair. Both of these people are child sexual deviants."
Prior Criminal History
The sheriff's office said David Hicks has a criminal history of indecent exposure dating back to 1991 through 1998 in Georgia, South Carolina, and Escambia County, Florida.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 11, 2026 08:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).