Former ND Game & Fish Commissioner Accused Of Child Sex Crime

A former North Dakota Commissioner has been charged with a child sex crime.

71-year-old Terry Steinwand, who was a longtime North Dakota Game and Fish Commissioner, has been charged with gross sexual imposition with a victim under the age of 15.

Steinwand was arrested on Friday, September 5th, by the Mandan Police Department. He was then taken to the Burleigh Morton Detention Center. No criminal complaint has been filed as of the time of this article, which would detail the charge.

A bail hearing will be required for this charge.

Steinwand was a longtime employee with the North Dakota Game and Fish.

He retired as a commissioner in July of 2021 after spending 40 years with the agency. He began his career with the North Dakota Game and Fish in 1982 as a fisheries biologist, according to an article on the North Dakota Game and Fish website.

Steinwand was first appointed Game and Fish Commissioner by then-Governor John Hoven back in 2006. He would then be reappointed by Governor Jack Dalrymple in 2010, and by Governor Doug Burgum in December of 2016.

Information has been gathered from the Burleigh/Morton Detention Center. All accused are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

We will continue to monitor this developing story.