Crime, Justice, South Dakota

Vanderpool gets new attorney; trial rescheduled for Nov. 18

By Gary Dickson, Editor – Siouxland Observer

Matt Vanderpool awaits the outcome of the North Sioux City alderman elections at the North Sioux City Community Center on April 9 earlier this year. (Photo by Gary Dickson)

A North Sioux City man sitting in the Union County Jail charged with five sexual-related counts against a minor now has a new attorney and his jury trial date has been rescheduled.

Matt Vanderpool, 46, of North Sioux City, was first arrested on the morning of May 23 near his home on Alcoma Drive in the McCook Lake neighborhood on five charges. They included:

  • Rape
  • Solicitation of a minor
  • Abuse or neglect of a child
  • Sexual contact with a child under the age of 16
  • Sexual Exploitation of a minor

According to court documents, police said an adolescent was interviewed who claimed Vanderpool sexually assaulted them. The adolescent informed police they had known Vanderpool for several years. They said Vanderpool would ask them sexually explicit questions. The adolescent claimed they were sexually assaulted by Vanderpool while they were at Vanderpool’s residence.

The adolescent said they had cut ties with Vanderpool and had moved to a different school. However, the adolescent told authorities that Vanderpool would frequently show up at their school activities. They said Vanderpool even decorated his car in the adolescent’s new school’s colors.

Law enforcement authorities interviewed other adolescents as they built their case against the alleged perpetrator. Other external law enforcement authorities – rumored to be Federal investigators – interviewed North Sioux City City Councilors.

Vanderpool pleaded not guilty to the charges and was assigned an attorney by the court as he stated he could not afford one and was apparently indigent. The attorney assigned was Jeffrey Meyers of Elk Point was appointed to represent him. Vanderpool was ordered to be jailed under a $500,000 bond. He remains incarcerated in the Union County Jail at this time due to an inability to afford the bond.

Meyers began to build his initial defense of Vanderpool during the first part of June. Then, a little over two weeks after his arrest, on June 11, the court-appointed attorney withdrew as Vanderpool’s lawyer. The defendant then retained D. Sonny Walter, a criminal defense lawyer from Sioux Falls as his attorney.

According to court records, Meyers was paid $690.00 for six hours of work on Vanderpool’s case.

The court date was also rescheduled to Nov. 18 at 8:30 a.m.

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