Elderly man who portrayed Santa Claus in North Pole, N.Y., arrested following online child exploitation investigation
09/20/2026 7:30 am PDT
TICONDEROGA, N.Y. (TCN) -- A 75-year-old man has been arrested and charged following an investigation into online child exploitation.
The Ticonderoga Police Department announced that Clarence Russell was arrested Sept. 5 after their investigation led them to believe he had been arranging sexual encounters with minors via the internet. He was charged with attempted second-degree rape of a victim less than 15 years old and attempted endangering the welfare of the child.
Family members told WPTZ that Russell was once employed at Santa’s Workshop in North Pole, New York. He portrayed Santa Claus at the children’s Christmas-themed amusement park. The park’s statement to WPTZ reads, “Clarence Russell has not been employed by Santa’s Workshop North Pole, N.Y., since 2025. He is no longer affiliated with our organization in any capacity.”
The investigation is ongoing.
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