A former Republican state senate candidate in South Dakota was sentenced to 10 years prison for molesting a young family member. Mitchell Republic reported.
Joel Koskan, 44, was accused of child abuse, but in court on Tuesday he pleaded guilty to two counts of incest for acts committed in April 2022 at the family’s home while he was a Republican candidate for state Senate.
Circuit Judge Margo Northrup sentenced Koskan to 10 years in prison—five years for sexual penetration and another 5 for fellatio— and fined him $10,000 on each count.
According to a probable cause complaint, the woman, now 20, said Koskan would give her “very long hugs, kiss her and have her sit on his lap,” since she was 12. She thought at the time that his behavior was “normal things” that families were supposed to do.
She found out Koskan was being inappropriate while attending a summer camp when she was 14 and camp counselors spoke about inappropriate or sexual physical contact.
She told camp counselors at the time that she believed Koskan “wanted to be with her intimately.” Camp staff contacted the Department of Social Services, and a social worker was sent to investigate. The visit from social services resulted in Koskan limiting inappropriate contact with her. But that did not last long as he started requiring her to straddle him after a shower while wearing nightgown with no underwear.
Koskan penetrated her with his fingers for the first time when she was 17 and after that, he forced her to have sexual intercourse with him on multiple occasions in family residences across the state. After she went to college, Koskan continued to monitor her via GPS and surveillance cameras.
After she met with police for the first time last June, Koskan texted her: “You promised you’d never do this. I’m begging you, you don’t want to do this.”
Koskan was taken into custody last November and charged with child abuse.
A plea deal which would have resulted in Koskan getting no jail time but would require him to pay for the victim’s college, therapist and insurance, was rejected by the judge last month and incest charges were brought, according to Mitchell Republic.
