Carnival worker charged with rape changes plea again

Terry Dwayne Wake, the carnival worker who allegedly raped a 15-year-old Cape Girardeau girl during the SEMO District Fair, has changed his plea again.

Wake, 32, was charged Sept. 20 with statutory rape in connection with the incident. On Nov. 8, he pleaded innocent to the charge.

On Dec. 28, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of endangering the welfare of a child which would carry a suspended sentence and five years of supervised probation.

Judge John Heisserer ordered a pre-sentence investigation and Wake remained in jail until Jan. 24 when he appeared before Judge Ben Lewis, who had replaced Heisserer on the bench.

Lewis recused himself and sent the case to Judge William Syler.

Wake was scheduled for a sentencing hearing Tuesday. Instead, he changed his plea to innocent, according to Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle. Wake was given a date of May 3 for a jury trial.