Salisbury man convicted of rape, sexual abuse of a minor
SALISBURY, Md. – A Salisbury man has been convicted on multiple charges stemming from the sexual abuse of a minor.
On Nov. 10, following a two-day jury trial, 27-year-old Widler Etienne was found guilty of charges including the sexual abuse of a minor, two counts of second degree rape, three counts of third degree sexual offense, three counts of fourth degree sexual offense, and three counts of second degree assault.
According to court documents obtained by WMDT, detectives began investigating Etienne on Oct. 18, 2025, when the Salisbury Police Department responded to a reported sexual assault. Upon making contact with the female victim, who was under the age of 14 at the time of the assault, the officer found the minor talking on the phone with Etienne. The officer’s initial report recalled Etienne crying, telling the minor victim, “I was drunk and high” after being accused of the assault.
The minor victim told police that she had been sexually assaulted by Etienne in the months prior, and that he was a family friend regularly allowed around her.
In an interview at the Wicomico Child Advocacy center, the minor victim told authorities that her and Etienne often played video games together. One night in Jan. 2025, while the two were playing a video game alone in an apartment, Etienne repeatedly tried to touch the minor on her leg. After repeated requests for him to stop, the minor victim said Etienne became upset, grabbing her by the arms and dragging her to his bedroom, where he ultimately raped her. The victim also told police that Etienne was not wearing a condom at the time of this assault.
The minor victim told authorities that she had been assaulted by Etienne on other instances, including once in Feb. 2025. In this incident, Etienne knocked on the minor victim’s bedroom door, asking to be let in to grab a protein drink. When the minor opened the door to give it to him, Etienne forced his way inside the room. The minor victim proceeded to lock herself in the nearby bathroom, which Etienne had keys for. He unlocked the door, pulled her out of the bathroom, and raped the minor victim again.
The victim told police she repeatedly tried to yell for help, but Etienne repeatedly told her to be quiet, covering her mouth as he assaulted her.
“When someone exploits a position of trust to sexually abuse a child, it is a profound betrayal of both that child and the trust placed in them. The young survivor in this case demonstrated extraordinary courage in coming forward and testifying at trial,” said Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Dykes. “Her strength, together with the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence, ensured that the Defendant will be held accountable.”
Etienne’s sentencing was deferred pending completion and receipt of a mandatory pre-sentence investigation and mental health assessment.
