Ted Klaudt faces multiple counts of sex crimes
Former legislator pleads not guilty
- Font Size:
- Default font size
- Larger font size
PIERRE - A former South Dakota lawmaker charged with rape and
other sex crimes against two girls in foster care pleaded not
guilty Wednesday in Hughes County Circuit Court.
Ted Klaudt of Walker was earlier indicted on four counts of
second-degree rape alleged to have occurred in Pierre when he was
in the Legislature. At least one of the allegations involved a girl
when she was a page during a lawmaking session.
Klaudt faces similar charges in Corson County and will be
arraigned on those counts July 20 in Sturgis.
Each rape count carries a maximum punishment of 25 years in
prison.
The teenage girls told law officers that Klaudt touched their
breasts and penetrated their vaginas during exams for a scheme in
which he said they could make money by selling their reproductive
eggs.
Circuit Judge James W. Anderson set Oct. 30 as the start of
Klaudt's trial in Hughes County. The trial is expected to last at
least a week.
Three of the Hughes County rape charges involve one girl, and
the crimes are alleged to have taken place between January 2005 and
January 2006. The fourth count involves a second girl for an
alleged offense in February 2006.
The two were among a number of girls sent to foster care in
Klaudt's home under a program that provides foster care for young
people who have no safe home to return to after completing programs
in South Dakota's juvenile corrections facilities.
Klaudt has been free on bond since his mid-May arrest.
On Wednesday, Anderson ordered the former lawmaker to provide
the prosecution with proof within five days that he has canceled
his Internet service. It has been alleged that Klaudt used
fictitious e-mails to convince the girls they could benefit
financially by donating their eggs.
A Corson County grand jury also has indicted Klaudt on four
counts of second-degree rape, two counts of sexual exploitation of
a minor, one count of sexual contact with a child younger than 16,
two counts of witness tampering and one count of stalking.
Klaudt, 49, a Republican, served in the state House from
1999-2006. He was vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee in
his final two years and chairman of the Government Operations and
Audit Committee, an investigative panel, in his final four
years.
Klaudt was term-limited in the House last year and chose to
run for the Senate in a sprawling district that covers much of
northwestern South Dakota. He lost to Democrat Ryan Maher of
Isabel.
Posted in State-and-regional on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 11:00 pm | Tags: Ted Klaudt, South Dakota Legislature, South Dakota Ethics
/news/state-and-regional
Most Popular
- Family visits pond where ND college students found
- Jim Shaw new owner of Black Hills Speedway
- Rapid City teen accused of kidnapping and assaulting girlfriend
- Authorities identify man killed in early morning vehicle accident
- Names released of double fatalities in Friday's crash
- Former Hill City teacher will plead to a misdemeanor, avoid sex offender status
- FBI investigates murder at St. Francis
- Arraignment set for former Pennington County prosecutor facing drug charges
