MULBERRY, Fla., July 10 — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced today the arrest of David Hicks, a 62-year-old Mulberry resident, on charges of indecent exposure, lewd exhibition, and exposure of sexual organs. The charges stem from an incident on July 6 at a Walmart in Mulberry, where surveillance video captured Hicks exposing himself and masturbating in the presence of a 5-year-old girl.
The case unfolded with a deliberate, methodical pace that is, as ever, the detail that matters in these investigations. Two days after the incident, on July 8, the PCSO published a Crime Stoppers video on social media seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspect. Under the hood of modern policing, that social media push is the technical reality that often makes the difference between a cold case and a closed one.
The following day, July 9, an anonymous tip came in identifying Hicks. That tip proved crucial, as investigators soon learned that Hicks had a prior similar incident in Toccoa, Georgia. The speed of the identification—less than 24 hours after the public appeal—underscores the effectiveness of community-based tip programs when paired with social media distribution.
Hicks is the brother of a man known locally as “Santa Claus,” who was arrested earlier in 2026 in a human trafficking sting. That connection adds a layer of local notoriety to an already disturbing case, though the PCSO has not suggested any link between the two incidents beyond the familial relationship.
The Mechanics of the Investigation
The PCSO’s approach to this case reflects a broader shift in how law enforcement handles crimes in public spaces. Surveillance video from the Walmart provided the initial evidentiary foundation, capturing the act itself. That footage then formed the basis for the Crime Stoppers video, which the department distributed through its social media channels.
The technical reality here is straightforward: without the surveillance footage, the case would have relied entirely on witness testimony from a 5-year-old child. With it, investigators had a clear visual record that could be shared with the public in a controlled, legally admissible format. The anonymous tip system, meanwhile, provided the crucial link between the footage and a named suspect.
The prior incident in Toccoa, Georgia, raises questions about interstate patterns of behavior that law enforcement agencies increasingly track through shared databases. The PCSO has not detailed whether that prior incident was known to Florida authorities before the tip, but the existence of a similar charge in another state is the sort of detail that prosecutors will examine closely in building their case.
Community and Social Media in Modern Policing
The PCSO’s use of social media for Crime Stoppers videos is not new, but the speed of the resolution in this case—two days from the incident, one day from the public appeal—demonstrates the potential of the approach. The department posted the video on July 8; by July 9, they had a name.
That timeline matters. In many similar cases, the window for identifying a suspect narrows quickly as memories fade and potential witnesses move on. Social media distribution effectively crowdsources the identification process, turning thousands of viewers into potential witnesses. The anonymous tip system then provides a safe channel for those viewers to come forward without fear of retaliation or unwanted attention.
The case also highlights the ongoing efforts by the PCSO to use community tips and social media to solve crimes more broadly. This is not a one-off tactic but part of a sustained operational approach that the department has refined over years of practice.
What to Watch Next
David Hicks now faces three charges: indecent exposure, lewd exhibition, and exposure of sexual organs. The prior incident in Georgia will likely factor into any plea negotiations or sentencing considerations, should the case proceed to trial.
The PCSO has not announced whether additional charges are pending, nor have they released details about the victim’s current status. The 5-year-old girl and her family are presumably receiving support services, though the department has not commented on that aspect of the case.
For the broader community in Mulberry, the case serves as a reminder of the kind of vigilance that modern policing requires—and the tools available to maintain it. The PCSO’s combination of surveillance technology, social media outreach, and anonymous tip systems represents a template that other departments may study as they confront similar challenges.
The arrest of David Hicks on July 10 closes one chapter of this story, but the legal proceedings—and the questions they will raise about prior incidents, interstate patterns, and the effectiveness of community-based policing—are only beginning.
Sources
- Brother of 'deviant' Lakeland Santa accused of exposing himself to…
- Lakeland man accused of exposing himself to a child at Mulberry…
