Jason Delante Wheeler found guilty of eight felony sex crimes
OCEANO — After a five-day-long jury trial, a San Luis Obispo County jury found Oceano resident Jason Delante Wheeler (38) guilty of eight felony sex crimes, including four counts of forcible rape of a minor. District Attorney Dan Dow announced today that a San Luis Obispo County jury convicted Jason Delante Wheeler of eight felony sex crimes committed against a 16-year-old young woman he had a legal duty to care for and protect.
These crimes spanned from May 15, 2019, through Mar. 7, 2020, and Wheeler was 36 years old when he began committing the criminal acts.
“I am very proud of this young survivor for her remarkable courage to report the crimes and to testify at trial that made it possible to bring Wheeler to justice,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “This conviction should embolden and encourage other victims of sexual abuse to report the conduct to their teachers or law enforcement so that the offenders can be brought to justice.”
The defendant is being held without bail at the San Luis Obispo County Jail. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 10 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, the Honorable Jesse Marino presiding. Wheeler faces a maximum possible sentence of 84 years in state prison for his convictions.
According to DA Dow, it is important to note that due to recent substantial changes to law and regulation, it is nearly impossible to predict how long a defendant will serve in prison before becoming eligible for early parole.
The case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office with the aid of the District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Melissa Chabra, who is assigned to the Sexual Assault Prosecution Unit.
A copy of the charging document can be found here and a copy of the defendant’s booking photo can be found here.
