Yankton man appears in court on kidnapping and rape charges

A Yankton man appeared in court Monday regarding five felony charges including first degree kidnapping and rape. According to court documents 55-year-old Theodore Michael Thoroton is charged with allegedly kidnapping a 15-year-old girl and holding her for two days. The incident occurred in September of 2025 when the victim was allegedly forcibly taken by Thorton and she says she was sexually assaulted. He faces two counts felony first degree kidnapping, two counts second degree kidnapping and one count felony second degree rape.