A sheriff’s captain in the North Carolina mountains was arrested on charges that he sexually assaulted two women in the Bucombe County Jail. Dating back to July 2017, the now fired captain kissed and fondled female inmates against their will.
Captain Charles Wilhelm, 37, of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office was arrested by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) last week on six counts of misdemeanor sexual battery against two women over a period of months, Fox 46 reports.
Wilhelm was even given a promotion during his illegal sexual encounters with the female inmates.
In July 2017 Wilhelm was a lieutenant facilities supervisor with the sheriff”s office; and during that month, according to the SBI, Wilhelm, “fondled a woman by force and against her will.”
But it wasn’t over because less than one month later Wilhelm was back at it when he forced himself on the same victim twice more, according to arrest warrants.
And in mid-October 2017 Wilhelm again forced himself on the same female inmate.
Forever on the hunt, Wilhelm found another female inmate victim in August 2017. Arrest warrants detail that on two separate occasions Wilhelm rubbed the female inmate’s thigh, forcibly pushed her against a wall and kissed her against her will while fondling her.
In mid-December 2017 Wilhelm was promoted from lieutenant facilities administrator to captain.
Wilhelm’s ill intentions would soon be exposed because on January 9, 2018 a complaint was filed against Wilhelm. Sheriff Van Duncan suspended Wilhelm within hours of finding out about the compliant.
Sheriff Duncan then contacted the SBI and requested an independent investigation regarding the allegations against Wilhelm. On Jan. 22 Sheriff Duncan received a general briefing from the SBI; and that briefing prompted the sheriff to fire Wilhelm.
Wilhelm was arrested and then processed at his former job, the Buncombe County Detention Center. He was released on a unsecured bond. Wilhelm is set to appear in court on July 5.
