A Fresno police officer facing a rape charge has entered a not guilty plea in court.Officer William Wyatt appeared before a judge Wednesday to face an accusation that dates back to the summer of 2010.
A former Reedley police officer claims Wyatt raped her while she was unconscious.
The woman says the two had gone out drinking at a bar then the next morning she woke up in Wyatt’s bed with no recollection of having sex.
Wyatt's attorney, Mark Broughton, says his client would never take advantage of a woman.
"He’s a model citizen. He's got great character. He’s an upstanding officer who upholds the law every single day," said Mark Broughton, Criminal Defense Attorney.
Wyatt was arrested after investigators found photos on a computer, which showed the victim passed out, naked. Broughton calls this a case of rape in retrospect.
"In other words, the young lady decided that she changed her mind as to whether or not these activities were consensual or not and hence you have the charges," said Broughton.
The defense believes they will prevail.
"Quite frankly the prosecution is going to have a very difficult time proving this case and I’m fully confident that when the facts all come out it's going to show he's completely innocent of these charges," said Broughton.
The allegation has caused Fresno police to place Wyatt on paid administrative leave. He is due back in court on October 9th. That's when lawyers will determine if there is enough evidence to move on with a trial.
