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CHEROKEE, North Carolina (WLOS) -- A Cherokee man who formerly portrayed Santa at Santa's Land is facing 13 child abuse charges.
The Cherokee Indian Police department reported that 78-year-old Bevier Hasbrouck Sleight worked at Santa's Land Fun Park and Zoo and that the charges were for incidents that happened at Sleight's home and not at the park.
Warrants show Sleight was arrested Aug. 29 and charged with 13 counts of child abuse. Those charges include aggravated sexual abuse, offensive touching and contributing to the delinquency, indiscipline, neglect or abuse of minors.
The court records indicate these incidents occurred at Sleight's home on Blythe Drive, which is behind Santa's Land, between March 2023 and March 2024 involving children as young as 5.Sleight is scheduled to appear in tribal court on Sept. 11.
The charges took residents nearby off-guard.
"I'm just amazed and shocked. I would have never thought that," said Kim Lambert. “I have a lot of grandchildren. So, it's very shocking."
Lamber said she's met with Sleight several times in the past.
“He's just really always been a super nice person. So, I'm very shocked to hear that."
Lambert lives right across from Santa's Land, which sits on her family's property.
While Sleight faces these charges, the Cherokee Indian Police Department says he's the customer of a local woman who heads up a child trafficking ring - 39-year-old Caroline Roland.
Roland remains in the Cherokee Detention Center facing 11 charges, including child abuse, maiming and several assault charges. The most severe of the charges is assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury.
It's a case Cherokee police say is still unraveling. Sleight no longer works for Santa's Land. Beyond that the owner has no comment as the case remains under investigation.
Lambert is still processing the impact on the children and their families.
