Sex Offender Santa Doesn't Work At Burlington Mall

BURLINGTON, MA — A Dracut sex offender who hires himself out as Santa Claus does not work at Burlington Mall, despite some concern following a community Facebook post.

Boston 25 reported Joseph Bass, 80, is a Level 2 Sex offender after being found guilty in 2007 in Florida for sending a minor harmful information (Bass said it was a plea to avoid what he believed would be a costly legal fight).

BCAT News followed up on a post in a Burlington community group saying Bass is or has been employed as Santa at the mall. BCAT reached out to the program that runs the Santa photos operation, Cherry Hills Programs, which said Bass has never been employed by them.

"At Cherry Hill Programs, the safety and comfort of our guests is top priority,” a statement provided to BCAT read. "The Santa in question is not employed by Cherry Hill Programs, nor has he ever been employed by Cherry Hill Programs. We can assure our guests that every staff member, prior to employment, is required to undergo an extensive application process that includes a thorough background check."

Burlington police on Tuesday said they investigated the claim and found that Bass never worked at the Burlington Mall.

Read the full story at BCAT News.