Casper Man Could Face 280 Years in Prison for Alleged Rapes

A Casper man accused of raping two of his former romantic partners could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of eight felony counts charged against him.

Jacob Paquette, 20, is charged with four counts of first-degree sexual assault as well as aggravated assault and battery, strangulation of a household member, felonious restraint and sexual exploitation of children. If convicted of all charges, he could face up to 280 years in prison.

Paquette made his initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court Monday afternoon. His declined his right to have the charges against him read during the hearing. A circuit court judge set Paquette’s bond at $25,000 cash or surety.

Court documents say the alleged victim was leaving her job on Friday when Paquette pulled up in a separate vehicle. She asked him what he was doing there as he was supposed to be at work.

The alleged victim returned home briefly before leaving, but as she was backing out of the driveway, Paquette sent her a text message asking her to return to the house and speak with him.

She went into the residence and, when she tried to leave, Paquette grabbed her and forced her onto a couch. The alleged victim fell off the couch and tried to run to the back door.

Paquette grabbed the alleged victim and forced her onto a bed in another room. She screamed in an attempt to alert neighbors but Paquette repeatedly covered her mouth and nose with his hand to make her stop screaming, she told police. He eventually grabbed a pillow and held it over the alleged victim's face. She became dizzy and lightheaded but never actually passed out, according to the affidavit.

The alleged victim eventually went into a bathroom and locked the door, preventing Paquette from getting to her. When she came out of the bathroom, Paquette held the alleged victim down and forced her to have sex with him.

Despite screaming and doing everything she could to fight back, Paquette allegedly restrained her and raped her twice more. At one point, Paquette "poked" the alleged victim's back with a knife.

After speaking with police on Saturday, the girl was taken to Wyoming Medical Center, where a sexual assault examination was completed. While at the hospital, medical staff and investigators noted the girl had at least 30 bruises covering her body.

About an hour after the alleged victim called police, Paquette contacted law enforcement and asked if any reports had been made regarding him. A dispatcher told Paquette that information couldn't be released.

Paquette then said he'd like to report that a girl had badly beaten him up and that he was going to the Casper police station.

In a police interview, Paquette said he and the alleged victim had sex the night before, but claimed it had been consensual.

During the investigation, detectives located a sexual assault report from September regarding Paquette. In that report, a different victim told police Paquette had forced her into a bedroom and moved a dresser in front of the door to prevent her from leaving. The alleged victim screamed but Paquette placed his hands over her mouth and raped her.

A preliminary hearing will be held in Natrona County Circuit Court to determine whether the state has sufficient evidence to establish probable cause for each of the eight charges. Should prosecutors meet that burden, the charges would then be bound over to Natrona County District Court for trial.