A Garnet man accused of rape and incest is expected to finish an arraignment hearing later this month while the defense and prosecution negotiate a plea agreement in the case which initially charged him with 14 separate sex offenses. Joseph Wilper was arrested and charged last October with rape, criminal sodomy, aggravated incest and indecent liberties with a child under the age of 14. Numerous charges carry sentences of 25 years to life imprisonment, with others ranging from just over 2 years to 12 years. Anderson County Attorney Elizabeth Oliver said the arraignment, which began March 18th and was extended to April 22nd, would accommodate the possible filing of an amended complaint reflecting a plea agreement.
The move on Wilper’s case comes on the heels of a sentence of 16 life terms handed down to convicted child rapist, Isidro Madrid, in Anderson County District Court in late March.
