South Dakota Senate candidate Joel Koskan's plea deal consideration in child abuse case made public

Alfonzo Galvan, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
·4 min read
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A man running for office in South Dakota and charged with child abuse appeared in court Monday, according to court documents.

Joel Matthew Koskan, 44, faces a felony child abuse charge for acts that were alleged to have happened between Oct. 5, 2014 and Oct. 5, 2020, according to a complaint filed in the sixth judicial circuit out of Mellette County.

Monday morning he appeared for an initial hearing and bond hearing, according to court documents. Koskan allegedly exposed the now 20-year-old victim to "sexual grooming behaviors," according to court documents.

The victim is related to Koskan, but the relationship is not clearly stated in court documents.

Koskan is a Republican, running against Rep. Shawn Bordeaux, a Mission Democrat, for the senate seat in District 26. The seat is held by Sen. Troy Heinert, a Mission Democrat who is term-limited. Election Day was Tuesday, but results of his race were not yet available as of publication time, because polls do not close until 7 p.m.

Koskan had his bond set at $100,000 and paid $10,000 cash to remain a free man as he awaits his next court hearings. An arraignment is scheduled for the 44-year-old political candidate on Dec. 12, according to court documents.

The probable cause statement for Koskan has been sealed by order of the South Dakota Office of the Attorney General, according to an email sent to Mellette County court clerks by Mandy Miller, the assistant attorney general.

More:South Dakota state Senate candidate Joel Koskan charged with child abuse, documents say

According to reporting by the Mitchell Daily Republic, which obtained the document, the five-page probable cause statement filed against Koskan was done so by a female family member who realized the way Koskan interacted and touched her since she was a child was inappropriate. Koskan allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victim multiple times throughout different residences across the state. He also tracked the victim's location via GPS tracking through her phone and vehicle, according to the Mitchell Daily Republic reporting.

The Republican candidate texted the victim the day she talked to authorities after tracking her location, according to the Mitchell Daily Republic. A message thread from May 6 indicated Koskan knew the victim was talking with authorities.

“You promised you’d never do this,” Koskan texted. “I’m begging you, you don’t want to do this.”

The child abuse charge Koskan faces is a Class 4 felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and $20,000 in fines.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney General.

Plea agreement for Joel Koskan filed for court's consideration

However, a potential plea agreement for Koskan is in the works.

In the proposed plea agreement filed Monday, but appearing to have been signed off on in early September, before Koskan was formally charged, the defendant would agree to plea guilty to exposing a minor to foreseeable harm.

The charge, punishable by a maximum 10 years in prison, would have all jail and prison time suspended for Koskan, according to the proposed plea agreement.

Koskan would also have to complete a psycho-sexual assessment as well as pay the victim's individual therapy sessions with a therapist of her choosing if she decides to attend therapy, according to the agreement.

The 44-year-old political candidate would also continue to support the victim in the same or similar manner as he did before the allegations were made including doing the following:

  • Koskan will continue paying the victim's course of study, including any tuition, fees, books and room/board at an accredited academic institution. The obligation will cease upon the victim's graduation or until she reaches the age of 22, whichever comes first, according to court documents.

  • A 2017 Chevy Malibu in the victim's possession provided by Koskan will be signed over to her guaranteeing her continued use of the vehicle.

  • Koskan will continue to provide health, eye and dental insurance for the victim until she graduates or reaches the age of 22, whichever comes first, according to court documents.

  • Koskan will have no contact, either by direct or indirect means, except as authorized by the court with the victim.

The plea agreement presented for the court's consideration was filed and viewable to the public Monday, but the signatures on it, including Koskan's, his attorney Clint Sargent and the deputy attorney general are dated from Sept. 8-12.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Plea agreement for SD Senate candidate Joel Koskan made public