Duke University Police Officer Charged with Rape, Sodomy

A Duke University Campus Police Officer has been arrested and charged with Rape 1st and Sodomy 1st by Houston County deputies.

Thirty seven year old Webster Delenn Simmons of Rougemont, North Carolina was arrested and charged on October 26th stemming from an incident that was reported to have occured during the early morning hours of Saturday, October 24th.

According to Sheriff Andy Hughes, Simmons and the female victim were at a local club early Saturday morning. The victims told investigators that she had purchased all of her own drinks while at the club with the exception of the last one that she consumed. She said that Simmons brought that drink to her. She said she remembered being in Simmons' vehicle and losing consciousness. She said she recalls later regaining consciousness for a couple of minutes and was in hand cuffs, gagged, and being sodimized. Her next recollection was regaining consciousness in the suspect's car around 5:00am.

Hughes said that deputies searched the suspect's vehicle and recovered several "unusual items". Hughes said that based on the victim's recollections of what had occurred, it was likely that the victim had been drugged. The victim and the suspect were familiar with each other, according to Hughes.

Sheriff Hughes said that a broadcast had been sent out to all Law Enforcement Agencies in case they may have any unsolved crimes similar to the one Simmons has been charged with. The sheriff said that the Duke University Police Department is cooperating fully with the Houston County Sheriff's Office, and had transmitted paperwork for deputies to serve on the suspect advising him that the Duke University Police Department had suspended him pending investigations.

Simmons is currently in the Houston County jail with bonds totalling $120,000.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Houston County
• Andy Hughes
• Duke University Police
• sexual crime