Co-Defendant In Child Rape Case Enters Plea

The co-defendant in a child rape case from 2018 entered a guilty plea on Thursday. Joanna Wheatley, 34 of Fredericktown was charged along with her boyfriend, 33 year old Russell Jolliffe of Fredericktown of raping a child in their care. Wheatley pled guilty to one charge of child endangerment. She faced conspiracy charges of child rape, aggravated assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse as well. She was sentenced to one year minus one day to two years minus two days in jail plus 3 years probation to be served after her release. Wheatley has been in jail for more than 800 days so she was immediately released. Her probation begins immediately. Wheatley’s plea comes one week after her co-defendant, Jolliffe was convicted in a jury trial. Jolliffe will be sentenced in November on child rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child and aggravated assault of a child charges.