Wednesday, July 3, 2002
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Wednesday, July 3, 2002 |
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Parents plead guilty to molesting 2 kids By JOHN MUNFORD
To avoid forcing two children into testifying against their mom and dad a second time, prosecutors hammered out a plea agreement Monday with a local couple accused of molesting their then 12-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter in 1998. The agreement means Mark Anthony (Tony) Wheeler and Candace Marie Wheeler will serve their original sentences handed down by Superior Court Judge Johnnie L. Caldwell Jr. They pled guilty in court Monday to two counts each of felony child molestation; in return they each got 15 years probation added to their two-and three-year prison sentences. Authorities claimed the Wheelers failed to report when their daughter was molested by Candace Wheeler's ex-husband. Police found a videotape of one such incident at the couple's home while executing a search warrant before their arrest. In court Monday, Caldwell fined the Wheelers $3,000 each for the felony child molestation offenses. The couple is due to turn themselves in to Fayette jail officials Monday morning. Caldwell made it clear that he accepted the guilty pleas because of the wishes of the district attorney's office to be sensitive to the victims and not force them to testify again. The Wheelers' original jail sentences were for related misdemeanor convictions last year after they were found guilty of sexually exploiting their children and distributing obscene material, both misdemeanor counts. Candace Marie Wheeler was also found guilty of contributing to the deprivation of a minor, also a misdemeanor. The Wheelers were given the maximum jail sentence for those misdemeanor charges: 12 months in jail for each count, meaning Mark (Tony) Wheeler will serve 24 months in jail and Candace will serve 36 months. The Wheelers were out on bond while appealing the verdict but they have agreed to drop the appeal as part of their guilty plea. The children, who are now 16 and 11, no longer live with the Wheelers. The felony charges were to be prosecuted because the jury who heard the original case deadlocked on those verdicts, allowing the Wheelers to be retried by District Attorney Bill McBroom.
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