KENNER — Kenner Police have arrested a New Orleans man legally named Santa Claus after he arranged to meet and have sex with a person he believed was a teenage boy. 

Claus, 75, allegedly initiated contact with an undercover detective posing as a 15-year-old via a dating app. The man discussed having sex with the teen and arranged to meet in Kenner, police said Monday. 

When the man arrived at the predetermined meeting location, he was taken into custody by local authorities. 

"His physical appearance indicates he does take on the persona of the Santa Claus, which is alarming considering he was attempting to have sex with a boy," Kenner Police said. "Now we have arrested a person who dresses up as Santa Claus, inviting parents to drop their young children in his lap for photo ops; this is a cautionary tale to parents and guardians," Chief Keith Conley said in a statement. 

Claus was charged with computer-aided solicitation of a minor, indecent behavior with a juvenile and grooming charges. 

The operation in which Claus was arrested also resulted in warrants being obtained for 10 other people accused of computer-aided solicitation and other similar crimes. These include: 

Carlos Lopez-Reyes, 29, Kenner resident
Christopher Fava, 45, Metairie resident
Faustino Salanicsam, 57, Kenner resident
Francisco Amaya-Paguada, 48, Baton Rouge resident
Jamal Landry, 34, New Orleans resident
Johnny Pierre, 31, New Orleans resident
Jonathan Akers, 31, New Orleans resident
Mario Herrera-Zeledon, 44, Kenner resident
Melvin Walker, 43, Pascagoula, Mississippi, resident
Michael Lousteau, 23, Luling resident