Man sentenced in sexual assault case

Five years supervised probation is what a Green River man received for sexual abuse charges.

Tommy R. Wheeler, entered an Alford plea in the Third District Court of Judge Richard Lavery, which is a guilty plea of a defendant who proclaims he is innocent of the crime, but admits the prosecution has enough evidence to prove that he is guilty, to a felony charge of sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree and sexual battery, a misdemeanor.

Pursuant to a plea agreement, if Wheeler successfully completes his five years of supervised probation to the misdemeanor sexual battery charge and the felony sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree charge the felony charge will be dismissed under Wyoming Statute 7-13-301. This statute is designed for first-time felony offenders, and can only be used by a person once.

According to court documents, on Feb. 24, 2014, a detective with the Rock Springs Police Department met with a Department of Family Service employee regarding the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl. The detective reviewed the information, which stated the girl wrote about the abuse in her journal using invisible ink.

These journals were reviewed.

Later, the detective reviewed a child advocacy team interview with the girl, who stated during that interview with a DFS caseworker that Wheeler had touched her private areas. DFS records also showed a note from the girl’s doctor, that stated Wheeler had touched her private area.

Detectives spoke to Wheeler’s mother, who stated she always tried to be around him when he was with the girl because she doesn’t trust men or her son. She also told the officers she was surprised her son hadn’t been arrested sooner.