A Martinez man who took advantage of his friend’s 13-year-old daughter by raping her after a fun day at the museum was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.
Wesley Price Vick Jr., 46, was convicted by a Columbia County jury of rape, aggravated child molestation and child molestation. Superior Court Judge Sheryl Jolly sentenced him for life, telling Vick that the sentence was a reflection of his failure to take accountability for his actions on July 20, 2019.
During the four-day trial, the jury heard evidence that Vick was friends with the victim’s mother. They had been in a relationship at one point, but they were just friends in 2019 when the mother saw him as a father figure to her daughter, according to Assistant District Attorney Ashley Muller, who prosecuted the case.
On the summer day of the rape, Vick volunteered to take the young teen to the Whistle Stop Cafe and later to the history museum in Augusta. Instead of driving her home afterward, Vick took her to his home. The teen, now 17, told jurors that Vick began massaging her on the couch before taking her to the bedroom and raping her.
“She zoned out and was terrified and didn’t understand what was happening,” ADA Muller said. “He did hold her down by his hands. She was unable to move.”
The girl later revealed the molestation to her mother when Vick continued the sexual advances and alone time with her, including a GreenJackets game where she got panicky and asked to leave.
Vick gave no defense this week except denying the accusations. His attorney called an expert witness from Texas who questioned whether the nurse who did a sexual assault examination of the girl used best practices. The jury rejected any defense claims and returned a guilty verdict after about an hour.
Before sentencing Thursday, the girl gave a victim impact statement.
“She was very relieved by the verdict,” Muller said. “She said Jesus has taught her to forgive. She forgives him, but she will never forget what he did to her.”
Vick must serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole and will always be on the sex offender registry.
