Theme Park Santa Claus, 78, Charged with Child Sexual Abuse, Possible Ties to Trafficking Ring

A North Carolina man played Santa Claus at a theme park has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing children from March 2023 to March 2024.

The Cherokee Indian Police Department said 78-year-old Bevier Hasbrouck Sleight III is facing 13 charges related to child abuse. The charges include aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact, contributing to the delinquency of minors, and first-degree child abuse, and offensive touching.

Investigators said Sleight had been employed at Santa’s Land Fun Park & Zoo on Wolfetown Road, but the alleged abuse took place at his home, not at the park, ABC 13 reports. Sleight’s home is on Blythe Drive, located near the park.

The Cherokee Indian Police Department stated that Sleight’s arrest is tied to the case of 39-year-old Caroline Roland, who is accused of running a child trafficking ring. Sleight was allegedly one of her customers.

Court documents indicated that Roland injured a child, 5, girl by slamming the girl’s hands, causing “multiple broken bones to each hand on multiple different digits,” according to court documents obtained by ABC 13.

 Roland then allegedly picked up a child and threw her to the ground, repeatedly hitting her head on the floor, which caused her to stop breathing.

After being hospitalized, the child was found to have a broken right arm, several facial fractures, and multiple skull fractures.

Roland was arrested on June 5 and faces 11 charges, including child abuse, maiming, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and inflicting serious injury.

“I’m just amazed and shocked. I would have never thought that,” resident Kim Lambert, who previously interacted with Sleight, told KTTC. “I have a lot of grandchildren. So, it’s very shocking.”

Lambert had met with Sleight several times in the past, as Santa Land sits on her family’s property.

“He’s just really always been a super nice person,” she said. “So, I’m very shocked to hear that.”

KTTC reports that police found 27 weapons inside Sleigh’s RV.

His next court appearance is scheduled for next month. He remains behind bars on a $75,000 bond.

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[Feature Photo via Cherokee Indian Police Department]