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Adrian man charged with raping young girl

By Lori Ehde
An Adrian man has posted $10,000 bail and is back at home in the same neighborhood as the young girl he allegedly raped.

Since accused sexual offender William Joseph Kafka posted bail on Feb. 22, Adrian residents have been calling the Nobles County Courthouse to complain of his release.

"Everyone's quite upset about it, wondering who bailed him out and why," said Pat Thier, who lives near Kafka.

"We're quite concerned about the fact that he's out, in light of all the evidence and what he's done."

Kafka's home is on Main Street in Adrian, within a block of the elementary school, and in the direct path of students walking to and from class.

Even more upsetting for residents is the fact that his alleged victim lives on the same block, along with several other young families and a home day-care provider.

"We're just still in shock that he's out," Thier said.

Kafka, 37, was charged on Feb. 21 with two counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of kidnapping.

The charges stem from an incident late in January involving a 9-year-old girl who said Kafka grabbed her and molested her in his house.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Nobles County District Court, the assault wasn't reported until two weeks later when the girl reportedly confided to an aunt that she had been bleeding.

The complaint details a grisly account of a girl who was tied with rope and muzzled with duct tape while her offender raped her.

The girl told authorities that when he was finished, he untied her, took the tape off her mouth, put her clothes on (while keeping her underwear) and let her go - but not before he threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

When the girl's parents took her to Luverne Community Hospital on Feb. 13, hospital staff referred her to Child's Voice, a Sioux Falls facility that specializes in treating sexually abused children.

Court documents state that examiners at Child's Voice concluded their interview with the girl is consistent with the belief that she'd been sexually assaulted.

During execution of a search warrant in Kafka's home, officers found a .38 caliber revolver in a desk drawer, a piece of brown rope, several sexually oriented videotapes, items to which duct tape had been applied, feminine undergarments and a tube of lubricating jelly, among other things.

When Kafka was arrested, he reportedly refused to give a statement.

When asked about Kafka's Feb. 22 release, Worthington Judge Jeff Flynn, who set Kafka's bail, said his decision fell within constitutional and state law.

"Everyone accused of a crime is entitled to reasonable bail," Flynn said Tuesday. "All bail is intended for is to insure appearance of the defendant at the next court hearing."

He said other factors, such as the defendant's employment, ties to the community and the nature of the offense, are also considered when setting bail.

Further, Flynn said Kafka's bail was set along with other clear conditions. For example, he is not to have contact with the victim or with other children, he is not to possess or consume alcohol, and he's to keep in contact with his attorney and keep his scheduled court appearances.

Flynn said if residents have reason to believe he's violating these conditions, they can contact law enforcement.

First degree criminal sexual conduct in this case means sexual contact and penetration with a person younger than 13 by individual more than 36 months older than the victim.

If found guilty of the charges, Kafka faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and $40,000 in fines for criminal sexual conduct. The maximum penalty for kidnapping is 20 years in prison and $35,000 fine.

The case has since been assigned to District Court Judge Timothy Connell.

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