Santa Arrested For Allegedly Groping Female Elf [Video]

Was Santa groping an elf?

Police have arrested a shopping mall Santa Claus on charges of indecent assault and battery in an incident involving a female “elf,” 18.

The alleged incident at the Hanover Mall in Massachusetts occurred Saturday, and the man was arraigned in Hingham District Court yesterday morning.

The elf in question — who worked as a photographer at the mall taking pictures of kids on Santa’s lap — told police that Santa “pinched her buttocks” as she walked by. Apparently another worker witnessed what happened, although the witness later told police that “she was unsure if his hand actually made contact [the victim’s] buttocks.”

The very upset elf reported the incident to her manager and to local police who investigated.

According to the police report, later that day Santa told the teenage elf that he “would never have done something like that.”

After being taken into police custody, Santa, 62, also denied touching the woman, but said his hand may have “brushed her buttocks” when she walked by his chair. He added that he pulled his hand away in attempt to avoid contact and wasn’t even sure if there was any contact. Santa also denied that there was any inappropriate implications when he previously told the elf that he wished he was younger.

The company that employs the mall Santa and the elf said that it runs a “comprehensive background check” on anyone who portrays Santa and that the man’s record was clean.

The suspect in the alleged bad Santa incident was released on $1,000 bail and, ironically enough, he is due back in court on Christmas eve.

The judge also barred the man from working as Santa Claus while he is out on bail. At the court hearing, the judge told the suspect in the Santa groping elf incident that “I see that you bare a certain resemblance, but you’re not going to be able to do that this year.”