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Smutty Santa; Decorations Turned Into Porno Display

Monday, December 17, 2007 – updated: 3:50 pm EST December 18, 2007

Neighbors in an East Cobb subdivision assumed a group of kids vandalized their Christmas decorations earlier this month, but were stunned when police arrested a 46-year-old businessman for being behind the crimes. They said he was driving the teens around the neighborhood to the various locations.

It had happened across the small Cooks Valley subdivision. Inflatables were deflated, displays were damaged and reindeers -- well, they were placed in pornographic positions.

Brian Walther said his kids chased the vandals to a nearby pickup truck where, police believe, 46-year-old John Scott Hayes was behind the wheel.

“Well, it’s dangerous to have all these kids in the back of a pickup truck first of all, and it's just, it doesn't show a very good example for the children either,” said Walther.

Police said Hayes was driving around members of a junior varsity football team out for some late night fun. Neighbors said the fun got out of hand when it turned to vandalism and police later caught up with and arrested Hayes.

Jennifer Schuchmann said Hayes volunteered to replace her damage inflatable. “I have really mixed feelings. On one hand I'm glad that he accepted responsibility to come and tell us what happened, on the other hand I think it's just awful that a grown man is driving kids around to trespass to commit property damages...I think that was wrong,”said Schuchmann.

No one answered the door at the Hayes home in a nearby subdivision.

Hayes has been charged with three misdemeanors, including criminal trespass for unlawful purposes, contributing to the delinquency of minors and reckless conduct.

Police said Hayes has refused to cooperate in the identification of the juvenile suspects.

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