Published : Tuesday, 16 Mar 2010
SOURCE: Andy Fox | WAVY.com

FRANKLIN, Va. (WAVY) - The Isle of Wight County sheriff's deputy arrested Monday on charges involving sex acts with a minor was put on administrative leave Thursday by County Sheriff Charles Phelps.

Officials said Deputy Ronald Williams Carwile was arrested Monday on several charges involving sex acts with a minor.

During a search of Carwile's home, police recovered a picture of a male private body part, digital scale and a wood container containing a smoking device and suspected marijuana. Police also recovered a DVD, VHS tape, cell phone, disposable camera and three rolls of film.

Video report: WAVY.com

Carwile has been with the department for six years and remains at work. Isle of Wight County Sheriff Charles Phelps, "he told me he was not guilty of this...and that there was no validity to the accusations."

As for the marijuana, Sheriff Phelps says that could belong to the sheriff's office. WAVY.com asked Phelps if Carwile improperly took home evidence.

"He was destroying evidence on Friday. I understand the marijuana was found in his county issued car. I have no evidence he was using the drugs for his own personal use...I don't have any evidence to disprove it either....this is all part of my internal investigation to figure out what happened," he said.

Sheriff Phelps says Carwile was at work Tuesday helping to hand off criminal evidence in other cases.

"We have this issue, but we don't need other issues. He is here handing over the chain of custody in criminal cases. We are [taking inventory on] all the evidence in the evidence locker, and it will be turned over to another deputy for court reasons. This involves verifying the evidence to another officer, and that officer will take possession of that evidence," Phelps said.

Phelps said Carwile's status could change, "I am conducting an internal investigation. He knows as soon as the chain of custody in criminal cases is handed over he could be suspended with or without pay depending on my internal investigation."

Carwile is set to appear in court on Wednesday, March 24, 2010. He maintains his innocence.



* * * * * UPDATE * * * * * UPDATE * * * *


Isle of Wight deputy pleads no contest to sex charges
Ronald Carwile will serve four months in jail as a result of the plea bargain
July 13, 2011|By Eric Gillard, egillard@dailypress.com | 247-4879





An Isle of Wight Sheriff's Deputy will spend four months in jail after pleading no contest to six charges of sexual abuse of a minor.

Ronald Carwile, 49, of Franklin took the plea bargain Tuesday in Southampton County Circuit Court. He was charged in March 2010 with two counts of sexual abuse of a child under 15 years of age and four counts of sexual abuse of a child under 15 years of age, third or subsequent offense — all misdemeanors.

Carwile will also serve 10 years probation and is prohibited from working in law enforcement.

For his safety, Carwile will not serve his jail term at Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk due to his previous law enforcement work, Franklin police said.

The offenses occurred between September 2009 and January 2010 at Carwile's Franklin home, said a spokesman for the Franklin Police Department.

Franklin police began investigating the claims of alleged sex acts with a teenage girl in January 2010. Carwile, an investigator with the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office since 2004, was assigned to administrative duties in December 2010.