Wanted Man Turns Himself In

A convicted sex offender, who was wanted for raping a young child, has turned himself into authorities.

29-year-old Kristopher Aslesen had been on the run for ten days, but after authorities asked the media for help, Aslesen gave up and turned himself in late Tuesday afternoon.

Aslesen is back behind bars once again.  This time, he's accused of raping a child under the age of 13 earlier this month. 

"This was a tough one," Sgt Jason Gearman of the Minnehaha County Sheriff's office said.

Gearman says tracking down a wanted man can sometimes take time.

"We had information prior that he was going to turn himself in Friday.  That didn't happen, but we were pretty confident that would happen with the cooperation we were getting with family and him," Gearman said.

The Sheriff's Office was able to locate Aslesen's abandoned truck in Illinois on the same day he was accused of committing the rape.  But he was nowhere to be found.

That's why authorities released this photo to the media to turn up the heat on Aslesen.

"Usually puts the pressure on these people and minimizes where they can go and what they can do, once people know that they are wanted and get it out to the public," Gearman said.

Aslesen is no stranger to crime. In 2003, he was convicted of sexual contact with two 12-year-old girls in Davison County.
Now he'll face similar charges in Minnehaha County.

Aslesen will make his first court appearance on Wednesday.  Authorities say he could face additional charges.