Charlotte-area fire chief accused of inappropriate contact with a child

The fire chief in the Union County town of Unionville is accused of having inappropriate contact with a preadolescent child.

Billy Wilson Canupp III, 51, of Unionville went to the Union County Sheriff’s Office on Monday after investigators charged him with two felony counts of indecent liberties with a child, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office began the investigation several weeks ago and said it continues to pursue leads in the case. Sheriff’s detectives believe the inappropriate contact occurred several years ago.

Canupp is free on bail pending a Jan. 23 court appearance.

In a statement, the board of the Unionville Fire Department said it learned of the accusations against Canupp on Nov. 27 and called an emergency meeting that evening, Observer news partner WBTV reported late Monday. The board suspended Canupp pending the case.

The board said it learned of the charges late Monday afternoon and will likely call another meeting to review Canupp’s status in the next few days, according to WBTV.

This story was originally published December 18, 2017 at 8:32 PM with the headline "Charlotte-area fire chief accused of inappropriate contact with a child."