SLO County man sentenced to 76 years in prison for sex crimes involving teen girl
An Oceano man was sentenced Thursday to 76 years in state prison for eight felony sex crimes involving a teenage girl, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.
The charges against 38-year-old Joshua Delante Wheeler included four counts of forcible rape of a minor.
On July 8, a San Luis Obispo jury convicted Wheeler of raping a 16-year-old girl that the county District Attorney’s Office said he “had a legal duty to care for and protect.”
The girl was 15 years old when he “began committing the criminal acts,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a news release about the sentencing.
Those crimes spanned from May 15, 2019, through March 7, 2020, the agency said.
“I am very proud of this young survivor for her remarkable courage in reporting the crimes and testifying at trial, making it possible to bring Wheeler to justice,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in the release. “This sentence should embolden and encourage young victims of sexual abuse to report the conduct to their teachers or to law enforcement so that the offenders can be brought to justice.”
Wheeler faced a maximum possible sentence of 84 years in state prison, though San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Jesse Marino sentenced him to 76 years.
It’s unknown when he may become eligible for early parole.
According to the release, the case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the District Attorney’s Office’s Bureau of Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by deputy district attorney Melissa Chabra, who is assigned to the District Attorney’s Office’s Sexual Assault Prosecution Unit.
This story was originally published August 19, 2021 at 4:08 PM with the headline "SLO County man sentenced to 76 years in prison for sex crimes involving teen girl."
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Joshua Delante Wheeler as Jason Delante Wheeler. The error has been corrected.
