Valley Springs Man Accused Of Raping Three Girls

VALLEY SPRINGS, SD - A 56-year-old Valley Springs man faces rape charges after three young girls said he molested them.
Kevin Edward Buchholtz faces four counts of first degree rape of a victim younger than 13, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office says more victims could be out there.

Court documents say Buchholtz abused neighborhood girls inside his own mobile home.

Authorities started investigating this case earlier in the month when a mother in the neighborhood told the Department of Social Services on June 13th that Buchholtz had molested her 6-year-old daughter,

The girl told authorities that Buchhotlz touched her private parts. One time he touched her in his garage and another time it happened in his bedroom where Buchholtz told the girl to take her clothes off. After touching the victim the 56-year-old told the victim not to tell anyone or he would go to jail.

After interviewing the six-year-old investigators were led to another victim. When the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office went to arrest Buchholtz on June 16th they canvassed the neighborhood. A week later another mother who lives just down the street called the sheriff's office and said her 11-year-old daughter was abused by Buchholtz as well.

Authorities interviewed the 11-year-old, who said Buchholtz touched her inappropriately several times from the time she was in the first grade in 2006 until she finished second grade in 2008. She said some times Buchholtz would put his hand down her pants while the two were covered up with a blanket and sitting on the couch in his living room. The victim says her cousins would be playing computer games in the same room at the same time, and when he stopped touching her she would continue playing computer games as well.

Buchholtz is being held on a $350,000 bond. But, authorities believe there could be more victims out there, so you have any more information you are urged to call the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office at (605) 367-4300.