Former Judge Charged

A former North Dakota district judge is in jail tonight... accused of sexually abusing a young girl for the past five years. Randall Hoffman faces 52 felony charges. 50 are for corruption or solicitation of a minor. He faces one charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child and one charge attempted gross sexual imposition. The criminal complaint against Hoffman indicates he began molesting the girl when she was 12 or 13 years old. He is accused of attempting to rape the girlnow 17 last Wedensday, before he was arrested. Prosecutor Jim Vukelic says Hoffman choked the girl and stuck his fingers in her mouth.Hoffman has been Elgin's police chief for about five years. Mayor Duane Schatz says Hoffman has been placed on leave. Hoffman was a state district judge from 1994 until 1999. He resigned after a disciplinary complaint accused him of showing disrespect for the court system. Hoffman is jailed in Mercer County on 500-thousand dollars cash bond. He has asked for a court-appointed lawyer. South Central District Judge Thomas Schneider says if Hoffman is released, he'll be barred from carrying a gun, drinking or using drugs for which he doesn't have a prescription. Hoffman is also barred from coming within a thousand feet of the victim's residence.