Clarence Russell portrayed Santa Claus at Santa’s Workshop, according to family members who spoke with WPTZ. Now the 75-year-old New York man is facing charges tied to an alleged attempt to arrange sex with a minor.
Russell, of Paul Smiths, was arrested Sept. 5. The Ticonderoga Police Department lists charges of attempted second-degree rape involving a victim younger than 15 and attempted endangering the welfare of a child.
The case grew out of an investigation into online communications. WPTZ reported that police said Russell had been communicating with people he believed could arrange sexual encounters with minors.
His former workplace has since drawn a line around when that relationship ended. WPTZ reported that Santa’s Workshop said Russell has not worked at the North Pole, New York, attraction since 2025 and is no longer affiliated with the organization.
The Meetup
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The arrest followed a meetup arranged by Eric Arthurs, a private citizen who calls himself the “Under Agent” and conducts his own online decoy operations. In a CBS6 report, Arthurs said he posed online as a single mother and communicated with Russell for about a week before arranging an in-person meeting in Ticonderoga.
Arthurs told the station that the fictional scenario involved children and that he confronted Russell after Russell arrived. Arthurs also said Russell had brought condoms and lubricant. Those details come from Arthurs’ account; the publicly available Ticonderoga police blotter does not spell out the evidence underlying the charges.
CBS6 reported that Arthurs eventually called Ticonderoga police to the municipal parking lot. The station also described Arthurs as independent of law enforcement, an important distinction from a police-run undercover operation.
What Attempt Means
Russell’s most serious listed charge is attempted second-degree rape. Under New York Penal Law 130.30, second-degree rape includes vaginal, oral or anal sexual contact by an adult with a person younger than 15. The completed offense is classified as a Class D felony.
The word “attempted” matters separately. New York’s attempt statute applies when a person acts with the intent to commit a crime and engages in conduct tending toward its commission. That statutory background explains the charge generally; the police blotter does not identify the precise subsection prosecutors may rely on or set out Russell’s alleged conduct element by element.
Russell is also charged with attempted endangering the welfare of a child. The investigation remains open, and the charges are accusations.
Russell has not been convicted in this case.