Verdict for the state
The Oconee Common Pleas jury returned this afternoon with a verdict for the state. It found that Christopher Trent Wilder is a sexually violent predator which means Wilder is remanded indefinitely to a treatment program. Wilder did not testify in his defense, and his side relied on one witness, a state psychologist. The two-day trial was unique in that a recently amended state law came into play which allows for a sexually violent predator determination if a jury finds that the individual is likely to become a repeat offender. Wilder was convicted in 2014 of criminal sexual conduct first degree and, since, had completed a prison sentence.