67-year-old High Desert man charged with sexually assaulting child
A 67-year-old man charged with sexually assaulting a child in the High Desert was arrested in Desert Hot Springs, authorities announced on Tuesday.
Jerry Wheeler of Landers was arrested on Oct. 11 in the 18000 block of Corkill Road in Desert Hot Springs.
Wheeler's arrest came nearly a month after San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies received a report of a sex crime involving a child. The victim told deputies that Wheeler sexually abused them when they were nine years old, the agency reported.
Deputies determined that the crime occurred on Botkin Road in Landers. The agency confirmed that during the investigation, the allegations were substantiated.
An arrest warrant was issued for Wheeler on Oct. 10. He was charged with three counts of sexually abusing a child. He was arraigned on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Wheeler was booked into the Morongo Basin Jail where he remains in custody on $500,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 26 for a preliminary hearing.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Morongo Basin Station at 760-366-4175. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should contact the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or go to www.wetip.com.
