West Memphis firefighter charged with rape and kidnapping | News

WEST MEMPHIS, Arkansas – A former West Memphis firefighter is now facing new rape charges.

FOX13 previously reported that 25-year-old Quinton Wilson was accused of raping and kidnapping a Memphis woman.

On Friday morning, Wilson appeared before a judge to answer the first rape allegations, which stem from an incident that police say occurred in April.

His lawyer Alex Wharton said the second indictment, filed Thursday, came as a surprise.

“The timing was obviously chosen to keep Mr. Wilson in custody, which is unfair. But that’s the way the system is designed. And we intend to pursue all of his rights and options in general sessions until we can get more information,” he told FOX13.

The latest grand jury indictment came on Thursday and includes aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery.

Wharton said he learned of the charges and Wilson’s $700,000 bail Thursday night.

“I am disappointed that a hearing cannot take place today,” Wharton said.

His lawyer said it would now be July 10 to give the state more time to call a witness.

“We want to make sure we have the opportunity to cross-examine the alleged victim,” Wharton said, “to get to the bottom of this as best as we can.”

The new charges stem from an incident in April.

Investigators said the incident occurred the same week as the previous one in which Wilson was accused of holding a gun to a woman’s head in an abandoned house and forcing her to perform sex acts on him.

“Especially for someone his age, late 20s, he’s worked his whole life, never been in trouble, he’s recently become a father, I think he has a four to five week old child, he got married a year and a half ago, so very scary and worrying,” Wharton said.

Wharton says he is not sure at this point whether he will represent Wilson in this second prosecution, but he says Wilson will do his best in both cases.