NEW YORK (KRON) — 43-year-old Kurt Ludwigsen, a former North Bay women’s softball coach, is facing 94 counts of sex abuse related charges, including 44 counts of forcible touching of another’s sexual-intimate parts.
Authorities say that Ludwigsen, who now resides in Ridgewood, N.J., has been charged with improper sexual contact with 13 players of the Nyack College women’s college softball team. Ludwidsen is accused of kissing players, touching them sexually and harassing them between September and March when he was fired.
Many living in Petaluma aren’t surprised by the news. In fact, they’re fearful of Ludwigsen to this day and have chosen to hide their identities during KRON 4 News interviews.
“I was a neighbor of Ann and Kurt Ludwigsen for years,” said one alleged victim who asked not to be identified out of fear. “I attempted to expose him by reporting him to the police with regard to the harassment I suffered.”
Since news of the Ludwidsen’s arrest reached Petaluma, there’s concern that he could be linked to other victims, including here in the Bay Area.
“I have daughter of my own,” the person said. “What really concerns and horrifies me are the young women and girls that have been exploited and damaged by this man. There’s many other victims I know it in my heart.”
Ludwigsen is married and has two children. He surrendered to police on Thursday.
Two years ago, Ludwigsen and his famliy abruptly moved away from this home in Petaluma. In the ten years he was in the North Bay, he was a volunteer softball coach at Sonoma State University from 2002-2003. He was also the head coach of the NorCal Assault for several years. The assault is an 18 and under women’s traveling softball team.
Police have been in contact with a number of individuals in Petaluma since Ludwigsen’s arrest but at this point additional charges have not been filed.
Ludwigsen is being held on $15,000 cash bail.