NC nurse fled state after incest, child sex crime charges, records allege
A North Carolina nurse is facing charges of incest and child sex crimes in Wake County, according to court records
The North Carolina Board of Nursing last week suspended the nursing license of Joshua Chrisander Burleson, 35, after he was charged with dozens of crimes related to the sexual abuse of a minor.
Although the criminal allegations do not relate to his work as a nurse, the nursing board found that the “public health, safety, or welfare” required emergency action, according to a June 9th order.
On May 7, 2026, Burleson was charged with numerous felonies, including multiple counts of incest, first degree forcible rape, and other sex crimes involving a minor.
The dates of offenses are between April 1, 2021, through October 6, 2024, according to the nursing board. Many of the charges against Burleson in the cases are for forced sexual relations with a child, arrest warrants show.
Burleson was also charged with one count of statutory rape of a child under 15, two counts of statutory sex offense with a child under 15, one count of indecent liberties with a child, one count of incest, one count of felony child abuse and three counts of second degree forcible rape on Jan 9, 2026. Those charges are for offenses that occurred in April 2022, according to an arrest warrant.
Burleson’s public defender, James Freeman, declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday.
Burleson and another man, Luke Leiserowitz, 34, were arrested in February at a hotel in Webster, Texas, by the U.S. Marshals Service. Leiserowitz was charged with first-degree forcible rape, first-degree sex offense and first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to an announcement by the U.S. Marshals’ office. The pair were considered “violent fugitives” and two handguns were seized from their hotel room, the announcement said.
In two earlier cases, Burleson was charged with assault on a female, domestic violence and communicating threats following a spousal dispute in December. The cases are ongoing, court records show.
Burleson’s nursing license will remain suspended until he has a hearing before the nursing board, at their next scheduled meeting. He worked as an emergency department nurse at UNC Health Nash in Rocky Mount, according to his LinkedIn.
He was first issued a nursing license in Vermont in 2014 and in North Carolina in October 2021.