SNOW HILL—A Georgia man convicted in June on a second-degree rape charge to which he pleaded guilty was sentenced last week to 20 years in prison, 10 years of which was suspended.
Wayne Eugene White, 46, of Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., in June entered an Alford plea to second-degree rape for the incident in Ocean City last December 3. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges the state has enough evidence to prosecute the case. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered.
Back in court last week, White was sentenced to 20 years, 10 of which were then suspended. He was also placed on supervised probation for three years following his release and will be required to register as a Tier III lifetime sex offender upon his release.
The charges against White arose as a result of Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers being dispatched to a resort condominium last December 3 for a reported domestic assault. Upon arrival, OCPD officers observed a female victim with blood covering her mouth and chin area and staining her sweatshirt. The preliminary investigation revealed the victim had been assaulted and then raped, and she identified White as her attacker. OCPD officers were able to quickly locate and arrest White as the department’s forensic services unit processed the crime scene and collected evidence.
Around 8:20 p.m. last December 3, OCPD officers responded to a residence at 123rd Street for a reported domestic assault. Upon arrival, officers met with a female victim, whose sweatshirt along with her mouth and chin area were covered in blood, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told police she wanted the suspect, later identified as Wayne White, 45, of unknown address, to leave her residence.