Fired Buncombe County sheriff's captain arrested and charged with sexual battery

Sam DeGrave | The Citizen-Times

ASHEVILLE — A former Buncombe County Sheriff's Office captain has been charged with several counts of sexual battery on allegations he forced himself on two women while he was still on the force, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Charles "Josh" Wilhelm, 37, was arrested Thursday and charged with six counts of misdemeanor sexual battery. Arrest warrants filed by SBI agent Courtney Dail paint Wilhelm as a repeat offender who forced himself on two women over the course of months.

The first incident detailed in Wilhelm's warrants dates back to early July 2017, when Wilhelm was a lieutenant facilities supervisor with the sheriff''s office. On that day, according to the SBI, Wilhelm fondled a woman "by force and against the will of the other person," his warrant reads.

During the next month, Wilhelm forced himself on the same victim twice more, according to his warrants.

Wilhelm again forced himself on her several months later, in mid-October, according to Dail.

He found a victim in another woman in August, according to warrants. During two separate encounters that month, Wilhelm rubbed his victim's thigh, forcibly pushed her against a wall and kissed her against her will while fondling her, according to two arrest warrants.

Several months later, in mid-December, Wilhelm was promoted from lieutenant facilities administrator to captain.

Sheriff Van Duncan learned of a complaint against Wilhelm on Jan. 9 and within hours suspended him with pay, sheriff spokeswoman Natalie Bailey wrote in an email.

Duncan contacted the SBI and requested an investigation into the behavior of his suspended captain. On Jan. 22, having "received a general briefing" from the SBI, Duncan fired Wilhelm — four days shy of his 14th anniversary with the sheriff's office.

After turning himself in for arrest Thursday, Wilhelm was processed and released from the Buncombe County Detention Center, where he recently worked. He was released on unsecured bond. He is set to appear in court on July 5.