Arraignment set in sex abuse case

SANDPOINT — A California man is set to be arraigned Wednesday, March 5, for alleged lewd conduct with a child under 16 between from 2017 to 2019 in the greater Sandpoint area.  

Klaus Ronald Schroeder, 22, was arrested on Jan. 4 and held on $200,000 bail for six days before being released after posting bail.  

According to a probable cause affidavit, Schroeder allegedly sexually abused a victim over the span of three years, with over 50 instances of alleged abuse. At the time, Schroeder was 14 to 16 years of age, while the victim was 13 to 15 years of age.  

Schroeder, court records show, allegedly threatened and blackmailed the victim into performing oral sex and other actions on Schroeder. According to a probable cause affidavit, Schroeder is also being accused of allegedly inappropriately touching the victim while viewing pornography.  

Court records indicated a phone conversation between Schroeder and the victim, in which Schroeder allegedly admitted to being manipulative. Records also showed that Schroeder related his actions to the sexual abuse that he had allegedly been a victim of when he was younger. Moreover, documents noted that family members of Schroeder were unaware of the abuse he had allegedly endured.