Duke University police officer arrested in Dothan

Houston County Sheriff’s investigators believe a Duke University police officer gagged and handcuffed a local woman as he sexually assaulted her over the weekend.

Sheriff Andy Hughes said detectives arrested Webster Delenn Simmons, 37, on Monday and charged him with felony first-degree rape and felony first-degree sodomy. Simmons, of Rougemont, N.C., remains held at the Houston County Jail on a $120,000 bond.

Click here to view a video on this story by the Associated Press.

Hughes said deputies charged Simmons with the rape and sodomy of the 34-year-old woman during the early morning hours Saturday. The victim and Simmons had been together at a local nightclub in the hours leading up to the assault, which Hughes said happened inside Simmons’ vehicle.

During the investigation, Hughes said detectives seized evidence from inside Simmons’ vehicle, including two pair of handcuffs, a ball gag, thick white rope, an unknown power source with wires attached to a nail, along with a whip and flog. The woman apparently woke up early Saturday morning, handcuffed and with a ball gag in her mouth.

“This is not the type of rape we normally see,” Hughes said. “We do believe it’s very possible the victim could’ve been drugged. She was very ill after she woke up.”

Hughes said Simmons knew the victim, but declined to say for the record how they knew each other. He said the victim bought all her own drinks at the nightclub, except her last one which was purchased by Simmons.

Hughes said Simmons was in possession of his full police uniform, gun belt and police handcuffs at the time of his arrest. But detectives believe only his handcuffs were used during the sexual assault, which happened between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Saturday.

“I would definitely characterize it as a bondage rape,” Hughes said. “This is definitely more unusual than what we usually see.”

Hughes said Simmons was arrested Monday after an interview at the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. Hughes said Simmons told detectives he worked as an officer at Duke University. He also told them he previously worked at the Raleigh Police Department in North Carolina for about 10 years.

In an e-mail to the Dothan Eagle, Duke University Police Chief John Dailey said Simmons was suspended from duty as a result of his arrest. He said Simmons has worked at the department for just over a year, serving as a patrol officer.

“It really disturbs me that anyone would commit this type of crime, but it really disturbs me that a law enforcement officer committed this type of crime,” Dailey said.