Wilson gets 25 years for raping 6-year-old
A local man will serve a quarter of a century behind bars for molesting a 6-year-old girl.
The defendant, William Joseph Wilson, 21, entered a no-contest plea before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley last week to the charge of child rape. He was directed to serve 25 years at 100 percent, meaning he will not be eligible for early release.
Wilson’s sentence comes after he confessed to forcibly raping a 6-year-old family friend who he was baby-sitting. His crime came to light after the child began bleeding severely from injuries she sustained during the sexual assault. The child was treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the injuries which were obviously the result of some type of sexual assault.
When first questioned, Wilson reportedly told officers he blacked out and awoke to find the child bleeding and himself covered in her blood. However, during further questioning, Wilson broke down and admitted he forcibly held the child down and raped her. Wilson said he committed the crime out of anger.
Wilson entered a no-contest plea Wednesday to the top sentence available for the rape. Given the severity of the assault, prosecutors would have likely asked for the maximum sentence anyway. The crime of child rape carries with it a mandatory 100 percent jail time.
Along with the 25 years he will spend in jail, Wilson will be on probation his entire life once he is released. He will also have to register with the state’s sexual offender registry which makes pictures and locations of convicted sex offenders available to the public.