Man gets prison after taking Alford plea for drugging woman with meth to have sex with her
Published at | Updated at
ST. ANTHONY – A 52-year-old man was sentenced to prison Friday after agreeing to an Alford plea on multiple charges regarding sexual battery and drugging a woman.
Bryan Wilding was sentenced in three cases by District Judge Steven Boyce to a minimum of four and a maximum of five years in prison.
As part of a plea agreement, Wilding took an Alford plea to felonious administration of drugs, misdemeanor sexual battery, felony possession of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
RELATED | Man arrested after allegedly drugging woman’s food in order to rape her
An Alford plea is a guilty plea where a defendant continues to assert their innocence but admits a jury would likely find them guilty with the evidence presented.
As part of the agreement, the prosecution agreed to drop remaining charges of misdemeanor domestic battery, misdemeanor injury to a child, misdemeanor use or possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of felony grand theft and misdemeanor petit theft.
Sentencing
During sentencing, the victim gave an impact statement, explaining the traumatic events of what she says has spanned the last 15 years.
“I remember the very first time you decided it was appropriate for you to take it into your own hands to get what you wanted and thought you deserved by violating me, my body, my mind, and my ability to protect myself,” said the victim. “I would begin to feel very off and scared, my heart would race, and I couldn’t keep track of where I was or what I was doing.”
The victim continued, explaining that Wilding allegedly put methamphetamine in her food, drinks, and coffee pot without her knowing so he could have sex with her without her consent.
“Like a predator, you sat and waited for your prey to succumb,” said the victim. “You are a monster. A monster that proceeded to do this or attempted to do this over and over again.”
The victim said Wilding would reportedly put the drugs in “food, alcohol, the coffee pot, capsule pills,” and slip it into her drink at restaurants when she would go to the bathroom.
“You even shoved hoses through the bedroom window, or a hole you had drilled through the wall behind our bed, while I was sleeping, over to my pillow next to my head and put that hose up to your mouth and would smoke through it to try and get it to me.” said the victim. “Who does things like that? How in the world could a person make a conscious decision to do those things?”
Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Aaron Tolson, argued for five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, saying Wilding does not understand the harm he allegedly caused.
“I can’t get around the idea that it’s just not getting through to him,” said Tolson. “It’s a problem where it’s him just taking advantage wherever he can.”
Wilding’s defense attorney, Justin Oleson, argued for a probation period, saying his client’s drug problems were the reason for the charges, but the victim was also to blame.
“Does Mr. Wilding have a drug problem? Yes,” said Oleson. “Throughout their 20 year relationship, they used methamphetamine together. She wanted to use methamphetamine when they were having sex because her feelings increased those responses. That was her desire. They both consented to that.”
Oleson then claimed the victim “liked it” and claimed he was not victim-blaming.
“She wants to blame Bryan for the meth abuse, fine, he was at fault. But she doesn’t have clean hands.” said Oleson. “I’m not victim blaming, I’m just trying to make the court aware that this was not in isolation, she was just as involved as he was.”
Wilding then gave a statement to the court, breaking down into sobs, describing his love for his children but not taking accountability for his alleged actions.
“The reason I get up every morning is because I love my (children). Every breath that I take is for my family,” said Wilding. “She can sit there and call me a monster that she feels I am, but my reason for living has been my family.”
Before pronouncing sentence, Boyce provided insight into the decisions behind his ruling, saying Wilding has a lengthy criminal record spanning over 30 years, and that the defense’s argument diminished their credibility by blaming the victim.
“There are a lot of concerning things coming up in this sentencing,” said Boyce. “The argument for the defendant, multiple times saying ‘Judge I’m not victim blaming here,” but the overall argument is it’s the victim’s own conduct that led to a lot of this.”
Boyce concluded that his ruling weighed heavily on Wilding’s inability to accept responsibility for what occurred.
“I guess, when I look at what type of responsibility is being accepted here, there is an acceptance of responsibility for drug addiction,” said Boyce. “But when I look at unlawful possession of a firearm, which is now a conviction, felonious administration of drugs, which is now a conviction, the misdemeanor sexual battery which is now a conviction – no remorse. No acceptance of responsibility.”
The family of the victim provided a statement to EastIdahoNews.com expressing relief, saying that justice has been served.
“As a family, on behalf of the victim (and) her children, we are all very happy that justice has finally been served after years of hiding,” says the family. “The truth is now out there and we can all move on. Even today the defendant continued to pass on the blame for his actions and showed zero accountability or remorse. We hope for healing (and) closure for everyone involved.”
Background
On April 18, the victim met with Fremont County Sheriff’s deputy and reported Wilding had abused her.
She told the deputy he had been putting meth in her food, drinks, and medicines to rape her. He would also allegedly “attempt to introduce smoked methamphetamine vapors into her bedroom.”
When deputies asked how Wilding was drugging her, she explained that he would break open her medicine capsules and put methamphetamine into the capsules. He would also mix the drug into coffee, sweet tea, or her water bottle.
She also stated she has never been a “willing drug user” and has never consented to use methamphetamine any of the times Wilding had reportedly drugged her.
She told officers a child had witnessed Wilding drug her. When the deputy interviewed the child, he told them he saw the victim confronting Wilding about drugging her. He says Wilding told her, “I don’t care. Drugging you is the only way I can get you to have sex!”
The child also told the deputy that he had taken drinks out of the victim’s water bottle, and bites of her food multiple times and felt “jittery and unable to sleep” afterward.