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.
The victim told police she and White had gone to a nearby restaurant earlier and had consumed some alcoholic beverages before leaving around 8 p.m. The victim told police White had become agitated with her as they left because of his perception of his level of intoxication. White reportedly continued to yell at the victim as they got into the car to leave.
The victim told police she asked White to take her home, but he refused and passed her street on purpose, according to police reports. White reportedly drove south on Coastal Highway before stopping abruptly in a travel lane and telling the victim to “get out of the [expletive deleted] car.”
The victim reportedly told police she was scared, so she attempted to get out of the front passenger seat. The victim told officers she had just put her right leg onto Coastal Highway and was still halfway in the vehicle when White started to drive away, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told police White started driving about 10 miles per hour with her still halfway in the car and halfway out of the car.
The victim reportedly told police White struck her with the car’s door frame as he pulled away and that she fell out of the vehicle into the middle of Coastal Highway. The victim said she fell on her right hip and right shoulder and injured both badly, according to police reports.
The victim reportedly told police as she laid on Coastal Highway, she looked up and saw headlights coming directly toward her and that she was afraid she was going to get run over. The victim was able to get up and out of the travel lane in the middle of Coastal Highway.
The victim told police she did not know what else to do, so she got back in White’s vehicle. The victim told police when she got back in the front passenger seat, White used the back of his hand to hit her in the mouth. White allegedly hit the victim so hard that her mouth and lip were gushing blood, according to police reports.
White then drove himself and the victim back to their unit in which they were staying, and he continued to yell at her in the parking lot. Once inside the unit, White continued to be very angry with the victim and would not calm down, according to police reports. White reportedly then pushed the victim to the floor near the kitchen area of the condo.
The victim told officers White then pulled down her pants and told her at least two times that he was going to rape her, according to police reports. The victim told police White then forced her face into the carpet and raped her from behind, according to police reports. The victim was reportedly able to get away from White and immediately called 911.
The victim was transported to a local hospital where a SAFE examination was completed. Numerous injuries were identified on the victim’s body as a result of being struck by the vehicle’s door frame and falling into the roadway.
White reportedly admitted that he pulled the victim’s pants down and had sex with her, according to police reports. He also reportedly acknowledged the victim told him at least one time to stop. White reportedly denied that he forced the victim’s face into the carpet and denied hitting the victim with his fist. He also denied that he told the victim he was going to rape her, according to police reports.
White was charged with first- and second-degree assault, second-degree rape and a fourth-degree sexual offense. He entered an Alford plea to the second-degree rape count in June and was sentenced last week.
