WakeMed nurse: Kidnapping charge an attempt to tarnish reputation

A man who worked as a nurse at WakeMed is facing kidnapping and sex offense charges in connection with an incident in Wilson last week.

When James Christopher Webb, 59, of Louisburg, appeared in court Monday, his lawyer said he had a previous romantic relationship with the alleged victim, and that the accusations against him are a way to distort his reputation.

Webb was charged with first-degree forcible sex offense, second-degree kidnapping and carrying a gun on educational property. According to an arrest warrant issued Thursday, Webb allegedly kidnapped a 39-year-old Wilson woman and “unlawfully restrained the victim, without the consent of the victim, and for the purpose of terrorizing ... and maintaining sexual servitude.”

A second warrant, dated Friday, says that Webb carried a black Smith and Wesson SW380 gun onto WakeMed’s campus. That warrant also says he took a push-button switchblade and a black steel, fixed blade dagger off his home premises, but it is not clear if he had those items on him when he showed up to work.

It was not clear if Webb's kidnapping and sex offense charges were related to the weapons charge, and it was the weapons charge being discussed Monday in Wake County. His lawyer asked the judge to reduce his bond, but the judge refused.

Webb will have another hearing Wednesday in Wilson on the kidnapping and sex charges.

In a written statement, hospital officials said they worked with Wilson police officers to take Webb into custody.

"In this particular situation, Wilson Police Department made our Campus Police and Public Safety office aware of the charges against Mr. Webb, and we worked closely with them to make the arrest. The arrest was made without incident upon Webb’s arrival in a parking deck," the statement said. "We take the safety and well-being of our staff, patients, volunteers and visitors very seriously and have numerous safety and security measures in place to ensure we are delivering on this commitment. We are continuously evaluating and improving the security of our facilities. In addition to our internal resources, we also engage external experts to assess each of our campuses and make recommendations for continuous improvement,"