Appeals court rejects Elyria man's appeal of his 2024 rape conviction

A twice-convicted rapist has lost his appeal of a 2024 conviction for raping an intellectually disabled man. A three-judge panel of the 9th District Court of Appeals ruled Monday that a jury had enough evidence to convict Paul Wilkins Jr. of two counts of rape following a two-day trial in Lorain County Common Pleas Court more than two years ago.