Sharpe Hospital employee charged with sexual crime against patient

WESTON, W.Va (WDTV) - A Weston man has been charged in connection to what troopers say was a sexual crime against a patient at William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital in March.

Troopers with the Beckley Detachment of the West Virginia State Police received a complaint on April 17 from employees at Southern Regional Jail “in reference to an inmate at the facility having sexual relations with a male individual outside of the facility,” according to a criminal complaint.

Troopers say investigators from the jail then received information from another person “of a romantic relationship between a female inmate at Southern Regional Jail … and a male civilian,” who was identified as 31-year-old Keefe Kiser, of Weston.

During the investigation, troopers say Kiser was an employee at William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital while the victim was a patient at the facility, adding that the two exchanged handwritten letters.

In an interview with the victim, court documents say she told them “she had been in a relationship with Kiser” and that Kiser’s job was to “watch patients, which would include keeping a call log, as well as patrolling the hallways of the facility.”

The victim went on to tell authorities the relationship “started out as just verbal but then turned sexual sometime in March,” according to the criminal complaint. She also said she stopped having a relationship with Kiser shortly before he was assigned to a different section of the hospital in April.

Troopers say they obtained seven handwritten letters from investigators from the victim’s personal property that depicted “a male subject who makes references to working at William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital.” The letters reportedly make several references to sexual interactions, and in several instances, “the author of the letters asks the recipient to be careful exchanging the letters and conversing for the fear of losing his employment or receiving repercussions.” A contact number was also left in one of the letters.

Court documents say investigators told troopers the victim identified Kiser as “the male subject she was having sexual relations with.” Troopers say they tried reaching out to Kiser several times but did not make any contact.

Kiser has been charged with five counts of imposition of sexual acts on an incarcerated individual by an employee. He is being held at Central Regional Jail on a $25,000 bond.

According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Kiser’s contract was “terminated on April 7, 2023, due to an internal investigation revealing inappropriate behavior towards staff,” 10 days before Sharpe Hospital became aware of the relationship.

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