Oceano man convicted of raping 16-year-old girl
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. - San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced that an Oceano man was found guilty of eight sex crimes, including four counts of forcibly raping a teenage girl.
38-year-old Joshua Delante Wheeler was convicted by a San Luis Obispo County jury on Thursday for committing these sex crimes against a young woman he had a legal duty to care for and protect.
The District Attorney's Office said these crimes were committed from May 15, 2019, through March 7, 2020. Wheeler was reportedly 36 years old when he began committing the crimes.
“I am very proud of this young survivor for her remarkable courage to report the crimes and to testify at trial that made it possible to bring Wheeler to justice,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “This conviction should embolden and encourage other victims of sexual abuse to report the conduct to their teachers or to law enforcement so that the offenders can be brought to justice.”
Dow said Wheeler is being held without bail at the San Luis Obispo County Jail.
His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 10 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court.
Wheeler faces a maximum possible sentence of 84 years in state prison for his convictions.
This case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office with aid from the District Attorney's Office Bureau of Investigation.
