Man goes to prison for sexually assaulting teenager

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC (WSPA) – A former firefighter pleaded guilty Monday to charges he raped a 15-year-old in his truck.

According to the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office, David Brandon Wilson, 33, of Black Mountain pleaded guilty to second-degree rape. He was sentenced to between 48 and 118 months in prison.

According to prosecutors, Wilson was arrested in June 2018 after investigators learned that Wilson had picked up a 15-year-old girl, given her several alcoholic drinks and had sex with her without her consent.

Wilson also urged the victim to keep the attack to himself.

According to prosecutors, the victim defended himself during the attack by scratching Wilson with his fingernails.

Investigators received corroborating statements from witnesses who saw scratches on Wilson’s arms after the incident at work.

The victim said the attack occurred on or near Highway 9 in Black Mountain.

The Mountain Child Advocacy Center conducted a medical examination of the child. Initial DNA testing conducted in 2018 found no match for Wilson, but retesting using a new method in 2020 found a clear genetic match for Wilson.

Wilson will register as a sex offender and has also been ordered to complete a sex offender evaluation and follow all treatment recommendations. As a final condition of his sentence, Wilson was ordered to have no contact with the victim for the rest of his natural life.