Interacting with Children as Santa in Recent Years
Recurring Cases of "Santa Crimes" Across the United States
A man in his 60s, a retired elementary school teacher in the United States who had been dressing up as Santa Claus as a side job, has been arrested by police on charges of possessing and distributing child sexual exploitation material. On December 11, Yonhap News TV reported, citing local media such as the New York Post and NJ.com, that Mark Paulino, 64, a resident of Hamilton Township, New Jersey, was arrested by police on charges of possessing and distributing child sexual exploitation material. Paulino is accused of secretly recording a child in a bedroom and sending the video to someone else via email.
Paulino, who worked as an elementary school teacher until 2021 before retiring, launched a website called "Santa Mark" and has been dressing up as Santa Claus to participate in various events and meet children. The website features photos of Paulino dressed as Santa Claus, along with an introduction describing himself as "Santa Mark from the North Pole."
He promoted the ability to take photos with him in a Santa costume, participate in events, and even have video calls with children through the Zoom video conferencing platform. Dressed as Santa Claus, he continued activities such as giving gifts to children, singing together, and telling Christmas stories. Paulino, who has been married for over 20 years, has a wife who is also a teacher, and they have two children. Before his arrest, police seized multiple pieces of evidence from his home. According to the criminal complaint obtained by the media, Paulino has been charged with possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, endangering the welfare of a child, abandonment, abuse and neglect, and fourth-degree child abuse.
Paulino, who worked as an elementary school teacher until 2021 before retiring, launched a website called "Santa Mark," where he dresses up as Santa and participates in various events to meet children. Photo by New York Post
This is not the first time a crime involving someone dressed as Santa Claus has come to light. In 2024, a man who had long served as the local community Santa Claus in North Carolina was arrested on charges of child abuse. In 2019, a man dressed as a Salvation Army Santa in New York was arrested on prostitution charges.
Meanwhile, in mid-November, a neo-Nazi extremist was arrested in New York for planning a terrorist attack in which he intended to distribute candy laced with poison to Jewish children while dressed as Santa Claus. This man, a Georgian national, was arrested on charges of plotting a mass murder attack by distributing candy coated with ricin-a natural toxin-to Jewish children while wearing a Santa suit.
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