Texas 'Santa Claus' gets 15 years for child porn

A long-time Santa Claus performer from Corpus Christi was sentenced Friday to 15 years in federal prison for distribution of child pornography.

The punishment was handed down after a hearing that included a federal agent's testimony about Reynaldo Ramirez's depravity and wrath.

When Homeland Security Investigations agents raided Ramirez's home in December 2015 -- around the time he was to begin another round of Christmas appearances -- they found videos and photos depicting the sexual abuse of infants, bondage and bestiality, as well as gifts addressed to children and a Santa suit.

Ramirez, 38, later confessed to sexually assaulting a 5-year-old, whose mother also testified during the hearing.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos not only sentenced Ramirez to 235 months, but said he would follow that with 20 years of probation and be required to register as a sex offender.

The case began with a Corpus Christi Police detective discovering child pornography coming from an IP address connected to Ramirez. Homeland Security was soon brought into the case.

Following the raid at his home, Ramirez told authorities that he'd been addicted to child pornography for years. At the time, he had been scheduled to make four Santa appearances in the South Texas area.