{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | honorific_prefix = | name = Ted A. Klaudt | honorific_suffix = | state_house = South Dakota | district = 28th | term_start = 1999 | term_end = 2006<ref name="NYTimes1" /> | preceded = Kenneth Wetz | succeeded = Betty Olson | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|4|9}} | birth_place = Walker, South Dakota | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Connie Klaudt | party = Republican | relations = | children = 2 foster daughters; 1 biological | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = Farmer, rancher, former state legislator | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Ted Alvin Klaudt''' (born April 9, 1958) is an American convicted rapist, farmer, rancher, and former Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives (1999–2006)<ref name="NYTimes1" /> from Walker, South Dakota, United States. In November 2007 he was convicted of four counts of raping his two foster daughters.
==Legislative career== Klaudt was a Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1999 to 2006 when he was "termed out" of his seat which was filled by Betty Olson. Klaudt decided to run for the state Senate but was defeated by Democrat Ryan Maher.
While in office, Klaudt co-sponsored several bills that regulated sex offenders, including the establishment of "community safety zones" prohibiting sex offenders from residing, working, or entering within 500 feet 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, a bill that requires the Department of Social Services to inform parents about abuse or neglect involving their children in state custody. His bill to have prohibited the distribution of birth control to high school 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 his foster daughters,<ref name="KSFY1">[http://www.ksfy.com/news/11071401.html Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20071018110207/http://www.ksfy.com/news/11071401.html |date=2007-10-18 }} by KSFY-TV, Rapid City, South Dakota, covering Klaudt's arrest, trial, and conviction.</ref> 17 and 19 years old at the time.<ref name="SOR">[https://sor.sd.gov/MoreInfo.aspx?s=S0717514 Klaudt's page] at the South Dakota Sex Offender Registry</ref> He was charged with eight counts of rape, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of witness tampering, sexual contact with a person under 16 (South Dakota's age of consent), and stalking, charges stemming from his activities in Corson and Hughes counties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Former Legislator Arrested on Rape Charges |url=https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0023253&sys_kb_id=ca1f89001b5869506e4aa97ae54bcba9&spa=1 |access-date=2025-05-24 |website=news.sd.gov}}</ref>
Klaudt entered no plea during his two court appearances following his arrest, so the judge entered not guilty pleas on his behalf, setting his bail bond at {{US$}}100,000; Klaudt posted the required ten percent to make bail and was released. On June 15, he was formally indicted on four felony counts of second-degree rape by the grand jury in Hughes County; he entered a not guilty plea to the indictment July 11.<ref name="KSFY1" />
===Trial and conviction=== Klaudt's trial on these charges started October 30, 2007 at the Hughes County Courthouse.<ref name=KSFY1/> On November 7, the defense rested and the 12-person jury 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.<ref name="FoxNews1">[https://www.foxnews.com/story/south-dakota-lawmaker-gets-44-years-for-raping-foster-daughters-in-egg-donor-scam South Dakota Lawmaker Gets 44 Years for Raping Foster Daughters in Egg Donor Scam], FoxNews.com, 2008-01-17. Accessed 2008-01-18.</ref>
Klaudt also pleaded guilty to witness tampering, and was sentenced to an additional ten years' imprisonment.<ref name="NYTimes1" />
=="Copyrighting" his name== In December 2009, Ted Klaudt sent a "Common Law Copyright Notice" to the Associated Press and various state media outlets warning that use of his name, Ted Klaudt, without permission is a violation of a common-law copyright of a trade name or trademark and could result in a judgment against the offender of up to US$500,000.<ref name="RapidCityJournal1">{{Cite web|url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/rapist-former-lawmaker-ted-klaudt-claims-name-copyright/article_03881cae-e9a3-11de-848e-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Rapist, former lawmaker Ted Klaudt claims name copyright|first=Chet|last=Brokaw|website=Rapid City Journal Media Group|date=15 December 2009 }}</ref> Laura Malone, associated general counsel for intellectual property at The Associated Press, noted that the names of individuals, including Ted Klaudt, cannot be protected under copyright law.<ref name="NYTimes1">{{cite news |date=December 16, 2009 |title=Ex-Lawmaker Convicted of Rape: Name Is Copyrighted |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2009/12/16/ex-lawmaker-convicted-of-rape-name-is-copyrighted/ |access-date=December 16, 2009 |work=San Diego Union-Tribune}}</ref> The resulting publicity made his case more famous than ever, a syndrome sometimes termed the "Streisand effect".
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014450/http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,57165 Klaudt's legislative record] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070819101418/http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,57496 Pre-trial conference report] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160120153305/http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070519%2FREPOSITORY%2F705190383%2F1013%2FNEWS03 Report of his arrest] *[http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/07/12/news/state/doc469535d5e8d01695137455.txt Trial update] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014442/http://keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=25,58388 Hearing postponement] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014245/http://keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=25,59020 Second not guilty plea] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014422/http://keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=25,58559 Arraignment postponement] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070627090922/http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,57927 Hughes County indictment] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014559/http://www.keloland.com/ClassLibrary/Page/News/files/712klaudt_affidavit.pdf Affidavit with new evidence] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070811172233/http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,59636 News update] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070720032511/http://66.231.15.194/ClassLibrary/Page/Information/DataInstances/4523/Files/2912/PDF-Affidavit.pdf Affidavit] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110713142747/http://keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=25,62228 Trial update] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110713142812/http://keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=25,62980 Conviction and plea deal information] *[http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2001/mbrdt250.htm Klaudt's profile in South Dakota's Seventy-Sixth Legislative Session, with picture] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311193838/http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2001/mbrdt250.htm |date=2009-03-11 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klaudt, Ted}} Category:1958 births Category:American people convicted of child sexual abuse Category:American people convicted of rape Category:Living people Category:Republican Party members of the South Dakota House of Representatives Category:American prisoners and detainees Category:Prisoners and detainees of South Dakota Category:People from Corson County, South Dakota Category:American politicians convicted of sex offences Category:South Dakota politicians convicted of crimes Category:20th-century members of the South Dakota Legislature Category:21st-century members of the South Dakota Legislature Category:Politicians convicted of sex offences