As state committeemen voting for GOP officers at the statutory meeting this Saturday, we should give a good long look at the seemingly inconsequential treasurer’s post.  The two candidates are Horst Kraus and Timothy Lee, who runs a property management firm in Casa Grande.

There is a growing outrage that Kraus, owner of a clothing optional resort , is being considered to serve as one of the elected party officers.  Just two years ago, it came to the public’s attention that Mr. Kraus not only operated a children’s nudist camp at his Shangril-La ranch, but also voluntarily testified as a character witness for a previously convicted child molester in a case involving a resident at his facility.

In an article titled, Trouble in Paradise, (Sonoran News, November 2004) Mr. Kraus is quoted as complimenting the pedophile and maligning the child victim:

“…..Horst Kraus testified on behalf of a previously convicted child molester in a case involving a young boy at his nudist camp during a trial in October 2000.  As a witness for the defense, Kraus testified to the good character of the defendant and the “untruthfulness” of the victim.  The defendant, Owen Thompson, is now serving two life sentences for dangerous crimes against children at Shangri-La Ranch.           

While Kraus complained about the timeliness of raising Thompson’s crimes, the Arizona State Supreme Court just ruled on Oct. 26 against a petition from Thompson for post-conviction relief on grounds of inadequate attorney support and vague constitutional issues that had already been rejected by appeal courts.  Thompson will continue to serve his life sentences.

Thompson was a resident at Shangri-La when he befriended a young boy whose mother had moved into the camp with her live-in boyfriend.  In 1997, Thompson, according to the verdict of a jury in two separate trials, molested the child in the pool of the nudist camp and again during an outing to Lake Pleasant.  During the investigation, it was determined that Thompson had been convicted in Maricopa County Superior Court of molesting two other young boys in 1982.  In his retrial on the Shangri-La offenses, the second jury took less than four hours to reach a unanimous verdict of guilty and Thompson was sentenced to life in prison on two counts. 

While Kraus wrote that he testified during the appeals portion of Thompson’s trial, he actually was a witness for the defense during the retrial who testified, according to court insiders and Kraus himself, about the character of the defendant and the lack of truthfulness of the child victim.  Even after the convictions and the early revelations of prior offenses, Kraus told this reporter, “It’s suspicious to me that no sooner Owen was gone and the child latched onto another single man.”  He said that the child later charged the second man with molestation, but it was never taken to police as the alleged perpetrator left town immediately.Thompson, on the other hand, had praise from Kraus.  “He was a model tenant,” said the nudist camp owner.  “Thompson never fell out of line with any other child.” 

The juries disagreed with Horst Kraus.  The perpetrator is currently serving two life terms for his abominable acts.