Sexting DA Asked Woman On Autopsy Date, Sexted Others

Two more women have come forward to accuse sexting DA Kenneth Kratz of inappropriate behavior — and one says he has a pattern of victimizing women “who are extremely vulnerable to his authority.”

Kratz, if you’ll remember, is already under fire for texting abuse victim Stephanie Van Groll 30 times in three days, asking her questions like, “Are you the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA … the riskier the better?” — all while prosecuting her ex-boyfriend for strangling her. Apparently, Van Groll wasn’t the only one to receive Kratz’s bizarre attentions — another woman has come forward to allege that he invited her to accompany him to an autopsy, “provided I act as his girlfriend and would wear high heels and a skirt.” And a third woman, Maria Ruskiewicz, says he started sexting her after she sought his help getting a pardon for an old drug conviction.

Ruskiewicz says Kratz sent her messages asking her how she’d “please him between the sheets while he takes a nap,” and persisting even when she didn’t respond. She believes Kratz wanted a sexual relationship in exchange for helping her with her pardon, and she got scared when, after she said she wasn’t interested, he demanded an in-person meeting. Says Ruskiewicz, “The reason why I’m coming forward is he abuses his power, not only with women, but with women in certain situations who are extremely vulnerable to his authority.” She added in her interview on Good Morning America, “There is no way we’re the only three women out there.”

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has started the process of removing Kratz from office, but the removal is by no means assured. And Ken Streit, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, tells ABC he’d be surprised if Kratz actually gets the boot: “Not to say in any way, at all, that I condone what Kratz did, but there could be a lot worse circumstances of a guy actually committing a crime, or being involved in a fraud of the prosecution itself.” But if it’s true that Kratz repeatedly abused his status as DA to harass vulnerable women,”could be worse” isn’t really much comfort.

Third Woman Speaks Out About DA’s ‘Sexting’ Harassment [ABC]
Wis. DA Harassed Woman Seeking Pardon [AP, via Above the Law]

Earlier: World’s Worst DA Sexted Abuse Victim