Ted Alvin Klaudt (born April 9, 1958) is a convicted
rapist
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or agai ...
,
farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer m ...
,
ranch
A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most ofte ...
er, and former
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
member of the
South Dakota House of Representatives
The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 70 members, two from each legislative district. Two of the state's 35 legislative districts, Districts 26 and 28, are each subdivided into ...
(1999–2006)
from
Walker
Walker or The Walker may refer to:
People
* Walker (given name)
*Walker (surname)
* Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer
Places
In the United States
*Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County
*Walker, Mono County, California ...
,
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. In November 2007 he was convicted of four counts of
raping
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or a ...
his two
foster daughters.
Legislative career
Klaudt was a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
member of the
South Dakota House of Representatives
The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 70 members, two from each legislative district. Two of the state's 35 legislative districts, Districts 26 and 28, are each subdivided into ...
from 1999 to 2006 when he was
"termed out" of his seat which was filled by
Betty Olson
Betty Olson (born April 19, 1946) is a rancher, EMT, and substitute schoolteacher. She is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate in District 28 from 2015 to 2017. Before that, she was a member of th ...
. Klaudt decided to run for the
state Senate
A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...
but was defeated by
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
Ryan Maher.
While in office, Klaudt co-sponsored several bills that regulated
sex offender
A sex offender (sexual offender, sex abuser, or sexual abuser) is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and legal jurisdiction. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crim ...
s, including the establishment of "community safety zones" prohibiting sex offenders from residing, working, or entering within 500
feet
The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...
of schools, public parks and swimming pools. He also co-sponsored the bill that required South Dakota to be included in the
National Sex Offender Registry
{{Distinguish, Sex offender registries in the United States
The National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) is a Canadian legal data base designed to monitor convicted sex offender
A sex offender (sexual offender, sex abuser, or sexual abuser) is a ...
, a bill that requires the Department of Social Services to inform parents about
abuse or
neglect
In the context of caregiving, neglect is a form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves, fails to do so. It can be a result of carelessness, indifference, or unwillingness an ...
involving their children in state custody. His bill to have prohibited the distribution of
birth control to
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
students was defeated.
Child sexual abuse
Indictment and arrest
On May 19, 2007, Klaudt was arrested on allegations that he had raped and
sexually abused
Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assau ...
his foster daughters,
[Report](_blank)
by KSFY-TV
KSFY-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Gray Television alongside dual NBC/Fox affiliate KDLT-TV (channel 46). Both stations share studios in Co ...
, Rapid City
Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...
, South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...
, covering Klaudt's arrest, trial
In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal ...
, and conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of " not proven", which is cons ...
. 17 and 19 years old at the time.
[Klaudt's page](_blank)
at the South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...
Sex Offender Registry
A sex offender registry is a system in various countries designed to allow government authorities to keep track of the activities of sex offenders, including those who have completed their criminal sentences. In some jurisdictions, registration i ...
He was charged with eight counts of rape, two counts of
sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of
witness tampering
Witness tampering is the act of attempting to improperly influence, alter or prevent the testimony of witnesses within criminal or civil proceedings.
Witness tampering and reprisals against witnesses in organized crime cases have been a difficul ...
,
sexual contact with a person under 16 (South Dakota's
age of consent), and
stalking
Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. The term ...
, charges stemming from his activities in
Corson and
Hughes
Hughes may refer to:
People
* Hughes (surname)
* Hughes (given name)
Places Antarctica
* Hughes Range (Antarctica), Ross Dependency
* Mount Hughes, Oates Land
* Hughes Basin, Oates Land
* Hughes Bay, Graham Land
* Hughes Bluff, Victoria La ...
counties.
Klaudt entered no
plea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a criminal case under common law using the adversarial system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response ...
during his two
court appearances following his arrest, so the
judge entered
not guilty pleas on his behalf, setting his
bail bond
Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required.
In some countrie ...
at 100,000; Klaudt posted the required ten percent to make
bail
Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required.
In some countrie ...
and was released. On June 15, he was formally
indicted
An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use the felonies concept often use that of ...
on four
felony
A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...
counts of second-degree rape by the
grand jury in
Hughes County; he entered a not guilty plea to the indictment July 11.
Trial and conviction
Klaudt's
trial
In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal ...
on these charges started October 30, 2007 at the Hughes County Courthouse.
[ On November 7, the defense rested and the 12-person ]jury
A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence and render an impartial verdict (a finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment.
Juries developed in England du ...
retired to deliberate. Three hours later, the jury convicted Klaudt on all four counts of second-degree rape. He was sentenced on January 17, 2008, to 44 years in prison: 11 years per count, to be served consecutively.[South Dakota Lawmaker Gets 44 Years for Raping Foster Daughters in Egg Donor Scam](_blank)
FoxNews.com
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative cable television, cable List of news televisi ...
, 2008-01-17. Accessed 2008-01-18.
Klaudt also pleaded guilty
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a criminal case under common law using the adversarial system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response ...
to witness tampering
Witness tampering is the act of attempting to improperly influence, alter or prevent the testimony of witnesses within criminal or civil proceedings.
Witness tampering and reprisals against witnesses in organized crime cases have been a difficul ...
, and was sentenced to an additional ten years' imprisonment.
"Copyrighting" his name
In December 2009, Ted Klaudt sent a "Common Law Copyright Notice" to the Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
and various state media outlets warning that use of his name, Ted Klaudt, without permission is a violation of a common-law copyright
Common law copyright is the legal doctrine that grants copyright protection based on common law of various jurisdictions, rather than through protection of statutory law.
In part, it is based on the contention that copyright is a natural right a ...
of a trade name or trademark and could result in a judgment against the offender of up to US$500,000. Laura Malone, associated general counsel for intellectual property at The Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newsp ...
, noted that the names of individuals, including Ted Klaudt, cannot be protected under copyright law.[ ] The resulting publicity made his case more famous than ever, a syndrome sometimes termed the " Streisand effect".
References
External links
Klaudt's legislative record
Pre-trial conference report
Report of his arrest
Trial update
Hearing postponement
Second not guilty plea
Arraignment postponement
Hughes County indictment
Affidavit with new evidence
News update
Affidavit
Trial update
Conviction and plea deal information
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klaudt, Ted
1958 births
Living people
Republican Party members of the South Dakota House of Representatives
American prisoners and detainees
Prisoners and detainees of South Dakota
People from Corson County, South Dakota
American politicians convicted of sex offences
South Dakota politicians convicted of crimes
American people convicted of child sexual abuse
American people convicted of rape