Report: Sex offender worked as Santa Claus at Virginia Petco
WYTHEVILLE, Va. - Employees at a Virginia pet store say a convicted child sex offender worked as Santa Claus at the store over the weekend, interacting with children and families while posing for pictures with pets.
The Roanoke Times reports court documents show 37-year-old Leonard Russell Kidd, of Max Meadows, pleaded guilty in 2002 to sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy. He was released from prison last year.
His conditional release plan says he must stay away from events where children would be present unless he has his probation officer’s permission.
Kidd’s probation officer, Mike Montgomery, says he didn’t know about the Saturday event at Petco in Wytheville.
Virginia Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lisa Kinney says conditions of probation are confidential, but according to CBS affiliate WDBJ, the department is investigating the incident and if they find Kidd was in violation of his probation they will take action.
Petco spokeswoman Lisa Stark says Kidd is no longer at Petco. The company is investigating.