A man known as 'Biker Santa' for handing out candy to children from his motorcycle while dressed as Santa Claus faces two felony child sex abuse charges as well as a felony charge of intimidating a witness.
John Thomas Breeding, 62, of Burley in south-central Idaho, has pleaded not guilty to the charges in 5th District Court. He faces trial beginning April 15 on the witness intimidation charge and another trial beginning June 29 on the abuse charges.
For several years Breeding has stopped in busy parking lots on his motorcycle to speak with children and hand out candy canes, while dressed as Santa Claus. The sex abuse charges do not stem from any activity conducted while he was dressed as Santa.
Breeding is accused of soliciting a 9-year-old girl for a sex act at his home between Nov. 15 and 17, according to court records.
The intimidation charge filed Dec. 26 stems from a phone call police say Breeding had with the child's mother in which police say Breeding said his "biker" friends would harm the woman.
Breeding told the woman to have a newspaper story about the sex abuse charges retracted because he could not be "Biker Santa" anymore, authorities say.
Authorities also say Breeding threatened to have the woman jailed because she failed to protect her daughter from a registered sex offender. Breeding was convicted of rape in 1986, The Times-News reported.
Court records also say that when a police detective questioned him about the alleged intimidation threat, Breeding threatened to hit him with a cane if the detective tried to take him to jail.
Breeding was freed on his own recognizance after posting a $250,000 bond.
Breeding faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the sex abuse charges, and up to five years in prison and a $150,000 fine if convicted of the intimidation charge.
"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte
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