Syracuse, NY - A Syracuse man could spend the rest of his life in state prison after being sentenced today for raping a 12-year-old girl in her home earlier this year. “You’re a predator,” Onondaga County Judge William Walsh told Michael Wilson. “You’re a coward and you’re despicable.” Walsh then sentenced Wilson to the maximum penalty of 25 years to...
Syracuse, NY - A Syracuse man could spend the rest of his life in state prison after being sentenced today for raping a 12-year-old girl in her home earlier this year.
“You’re a predator,” Onondaga County Judge William Walsh told Michael Wilson. “You’re a coward and you’re despicable.”
Walsh then sentenced Wilson to the maximum penalty of 25 years to life in state prison. A County Court jury convicted Wilson, 38, of 2718 E. Genesee St., after a trial last month of felony counts of predatory sexual assault against a child and first-degree rape and a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child.
The victim and her mother faced off against Wilson in court today as they shared with Walsh how their lives had been affected by the crime.
“Everybody just feels betrayed,” the mother said, noting they did not necessarily want to see Wilson spend the rest of his life in prison even though they would be dealing with the consequences of his criminal conduct for the rest of their lives.
Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Cali said Wilson had been visiting the girl and her mother Feb. 24 when the mother had to go to the store. While the mother was away, Wilson forcibly raped the girl, the prosecutor said.
The girl reported the assault to a family friend two days later and the friend immediately reported it to the girl’s mother, Cali said.
Cali said Wilson, already a Level 2 convicted sex offender from a 2005 sex abuse case, posed a threat to the community and deserved the maximum penalty.
Wilson maintained his innocence and claimed he still loved the girl and her mother despite what they had done to bring charges against him.
“I’m not a rapist. I’m a protector,” Wilson claimed.