Suspected paedophile Santa Claus arrested at shopping centre in Brazil
This is the moment police arrest a man dressed as Santa Claus in a shopping centre after he was accused of sexually abusing a child.
The video shows the 67-year-old suspect being led away through the shopping centre in handcuffs in the city of Lages, in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, on November 27.
According to the child protection police division, the man had been indicted for the rape of a minor following an investigation that began earlier this year after a complaint was filed.
Officers said the crimes under investigation did not occur inside the shopping centre and that no further details of the allegations were released because the case remained under judicial secrecy.
Police stated that after the man was located at the shopping centre, they detained him under a preventive arrest warrant and transferred him to the prison system. The name of the suspect was not released by the authorities.
The shopping centre said in a statement that it had terminated its contract with the man following his arrest and expressed its “absolute repudiation of any conduct that compromises the safety of its customers.”
It also said the police operation did not stem from any incident inside the mall and that it had not been informed of the investigation beforehand because of the secrecy imposed on the case.
The venue added that its Christmas programme, which began on 23rd November, would continue with newly contracted staff.
Story: NewsX