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From KELO:
A judge sentenced former state representative Ted Klaudt to 44 years in prison today, 11 years for each of the four rape convictions.He faced up to 100 years for raping two of his foster daughters as part of a scheme to sell their reproductive eggs. …
More from KELO:
In explaining why this might have happened, Ted Klaudt’s lawyer blamed, in part, the Internet. He says Klaudt’s obsession with inappropriate online material got him worked up enough to want to carry out the acts on actual people.He asked the judge for just a four-year sentence, but that’s far from what Klaudt received.
His lawyer says at 600 pounds, for Ted Klaudt, just walking is a task of almost superhuman strength. Because of his health problems, a prison sentence of more than ten years, Tim Rensch argued, would be a death sentence.
. . .
The con started at his home in Walker, South Dakota and continued in Pierre. While Klaudt spent the day in the Capitol passing tougher laws for sex offenders, he spent the night in his motel room molesting his foster daughters.
There was never a legitimate egg donation business, but Klaudt still claims he had good intentions.
“His claim was that he was merely trying to do something to help these girls, which of course we think is ridiculous,” says Assistant Attorney General Patty DeVaney.
. . .
He apologized for what happened. But prosecutors don’t believe he’s sorry for what he did.
“We really have not seen an indication of true remorse,” DeVaney says. “Even more so than the lack of remorse is the continual denial of what actually happened here. Denial that there was anything criminal.”
That denial is what struck Judge James Anderson. For the blatant abuse of power as a foster parent and legislator, he handed down a 44-year sentence.
“He’s a sexual predator based on what we know from the investigation, and he’s going where he needs to be,” DeVaney says.
. . .
Klaudt’s sentence could be extended next week when he faces a judge in Deadwood on witness tampering charges. As it stands now, Klaudt won’t be eligible for parole until he’s 71 years old.
From AP:
Klaudt’s lawyer, Tim Rensch of Rapid City, said such a lengthy sentence likely means Klaudt, who weighs more than 600 pounds and is in poor health, will never make it out of prison alive.. . .
Klaudt could have received up to 100 years for the convictions.
. . .
Rensch said Klaudt has not decided yet whether to appeal his convictions to the state Supreme Court.
The defense attorney asked the judge to send Klaudt to prison for only four years because a longer sentence would amount to a life sentence. Klaudt could be rehabilitated and would never harm any other girls if released from prison, he said.
But Assistant Attorney General Patricia DeVaney, who prosecuted Klaudt, argued that he deserves a lengthy sentence because he violated the trust of his foster daughters and has never admitted that what he did was wrong.
“He’s still in a stage of denial … In his mind apparently he believes he was trying to help these girls,” DeVaney told the judge. “We have a sexual predator.”
Rensch said Klaudt wound up in trouble because he started to look at things on the Internet, including sex chat sites, he should not have been viewing.
Klaudt’s bulk does not excuse his actions, but helps explain his reaction to improper things he saw on the Internet, the defense lawyer said.
“His whole life he’s been a big guy … When you’re his size, you do your best to fit in,” Rensch said. “He really hasn’t been able to develop normally when we’re talking about sexual relationships or sexual desires.”
The defense lawyer said Klaudt should get credit for helping stranded travelers, giving a hand to poor people and serving on a church board.
. . .
During one of the legislative sessions, one of the girls served as a legislative page – high school students who run errands for lawmakers.
