SHARE

By of the

Calumet County's district attorney tried to start a relationship with a domestic violence victim by sending her 30 text messages over three days while he was prosecuting her ex-boyfriend.

In one of the texts, District Attorney Kenneth R. Kratz asked if the woman is "the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA," according to a report from the Kaukauna Police Department. In another text, Kratz wrote, "I know this is wrong."

Kratz said in a statement Wednesday that he was "embarrassed at this lapse of judgment" but that the state Office of Lawyer Regulation determined that no professional misconduct had occurred.

Keith Sellen, director of the regulation office, said he is prohibited from confirming Kratz's statement.

Earlier Wednesday, Kratz told The Associated Press, which first reported on the text messages, that the situation was "a non-news story." E-mails released by the state show that Kratz wrote to Department of Justice officials that his texts were not sexual in nature and that he was concerned about keeping news of the texts out of the media.

Kratz had gained attention for his prosecution of Steven Avery, who was convicted in 2007 of killing freelance photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005. She died two years after Avery was released from prison based upon DNA evidence that cleared him of involvement in a sexual assault.

Kratz also prosecuted four women who were charged last year with luring a man to a motel and gluing his penis to his abdomen as revenge for his cheating on one of them.

According to the police report, Kratz, 50, began sending text messages to Stephanie L. Van Groll, 26, after she met with him Oct. 20 regarding domestic abuse charges that had been filed against her ex-boyfriend. Van Groll reported the text messages to Kaukauna police two days later.

Kratz wrote in his first text that it was nice talking with Van Groll and that she should feel free to text him between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to copies of the messages included in the police report.

"You have such potential," Kratz wrote in the initial text message. "See ya. KEN (your favorite DA)."

Van Groll thanked Kratz in a reply text message, but he continued texting her, sending 30 messages over three days, according to the report.

Kratz told Van Groll in his texts not to tell anyone that he was communicating with her, texting that his messages were "maybe not the wisest thing."

"Im serious!" Kratz wrote in another text. "Im the atty. I have the $350,000 house. I have the 6-figure career. You may be the tall, young, hot nymph, but I am the prize!"

Kratz said in his statement that while he had sent 30 texts, Van Groll had sent 23 texts to him. However, copies of the texts included in the police report show that most of Van Groll's texts were just a few words in length and did not attempt to engage Kratz or further the discussion.

In response to one of Kratz's texts, Van Groll wrote, "I think your wife would have something to say about that."

Kratz has been divorced three times since 1994, with his most recent divorce occurring in December, according to court records.

After confirming that Kratz had sent the texts to Van Groll, Kaukauna police turned their investigation over to the state Division of Criminal Investigation because the Police Department often works with the Calumet County district attorney's office, Police Chief John Manion said. Kaukauna is in southern Outagamie County.

Kratz said in his statement that he made it clear in his texts that any "personal friendship" that would develop between him and Van Groll would occur after his office had finished prosecuting her ex-boyfriend.

"The messages were concluded by reminding the young women (sic) that it was her decision whether any future friendship would develop," Kratz said.

Van Groll reported the texts to police because she was afraid Kratz would throw out the case against her ex-boyfriend if she told Kratz to stop, the police report said.

"Nothing really happened to him, and I had three days of hell," Van Groll told the Associated Press. "They gave him a slap on the wrist and told him not to do it again. If it was anybody else that did something like this, they'd lose their job."

Kratz said he removed himself from the prosecution of Van Groll's boyfriend as soon as he learned Van Groll's complaint had been forwarded to the state. The state appointed a prosecutor to take over the case, and the ex-boyfriend, Shannon R. Konitzer, was convicted in April of a domestic violence felony, court records show.

State Department of Justice spokesman Bill Cosh said the agency determined Kratz's actions did not constitute a crime, urged him to disclose Van Groll's allegations to the Office of Lawyer Regulation, and resign from the Crime Victims Rights Board. Kratz, chairman of the board at the time, resigned in December.

Kratz, a Republican, is up for re-election in 2012.

Patti Seger, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said Kratz apparently used many of the same manipulative tactics against Van Groll that perpetrators of domestic abuse often use against victims.

"The voters certainly have a choice to make should he still be running for re-election next term," Seger said. "This certainly provides the voters with a lot more information about their district attorney."

Bruce Vielmetti of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.