“It was like a switch”. That’s the quote given by the victim who allegedly was sexually assaulted by Sean Wedgwood back in August of last year in the Carmike Seth Child Cinema parking lot.
Wedgwood, who is a Fort Riley soldier, was charged with felony level rape after a reported incident from August of last year. He appeared in Riley County District Court on Wednesday for his jury trial. The trial began late Tuesday afternoon with opening statements, but the actual victim in the case was questioned on Wednesday.
When talking about the “switch”, the woman was referencing the point in which Wedgwood’s demeanor changed on the night of the incident. Prior to the assault, the woman said “he was the sweetest guy I ever met”.
Prosecuting State Attorney, Wes Garrison shared a few spreadsheets of text messages, and asked the victim to explain different times of contact between her and the defendant. She stated the two met over a dating application on social media, but their primary point of contact was text messages. She shared the chain of events for the evening, as they planned to meet for a movie at the theater.
Following the movie, the two talked near Wedgwood’s vehicle. After going to her vehicle, Wedgwood followed and they continued to talk. The victim said she was pushed back by force and Wedgewood grabbed her wrists. She stated she screamed multiple times for him to stop.
The victim said she was eventually able to get away by kicking Wedgwood away from the vehicle, locking the door, and driving away.
Following the incident, the victim received several text messages from Wedgwood apologizing for his actions and stating he would never treat a woman like that.
After returning home, the victim stated she showered and went to bed. It wasn’t until the next day that the victim reported the incident to her mother, and then consequently -police.
This trial is still currently continuing in court.