Vine Star Curtis Lepore -- RAPE CHARGE DROPPED in Plea Deal

Vine star Curtis Lepore is no longer an accused rapist -- in the eyes of the law ... the rape charge against him has just been DROPPED as part of a plea deal ... TMZ has learned.

Lepore showed up in court to cop a plea Friday morning ... pleading no contest to felony assault on his ex-GF.

TMZ broke the story ... Lepore was arrested in October on charges of raping his then-GF Jessi Smiles -- a fellow Vine star he met on the social network -- while she was sleeping.

Under the plea deal, Lepore has to complete 24 days of community service and a year of counseling ... and if he holds his end of the deal up, the formal conviction will read "MISDEMEANOR assault."

We've reached out to Jessi for comment ... so far, no word back.