MEDIA, Delaware County — A self-proclaimed “dirty old Santa” will serve up to two years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to charges that he attempted to arrange a meeting with a 14-year-old girl who turned out to be an undercover police officer, according to philly.com.
William McKinlay, 57, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to solicitation and statutory sexual assault. He was sentenced Monday in Delaware County Court.
McKinlay was arrested in June of 2017 at an ice cream parlor in suburban Philadelphia, where he had arranged online to meet the girl. Police say he contacted an undercover officer posing as “Stephanie,” a 14-year-old girl, in April of 2017.
After learning her age, McKinlay began having sexually explicit conversations with “Stephanie” over the course of a month. McKinlay also sent graphic pictures and referred to himself as “dirty old Santa.”
A police investigation revealed McKinlay worked as a seasonal employee at Macy’s in Philadelphia, where he posed as Santa Claus. Pictures on McKinlay’s Facebook page depicted him dressed as Santa.
