Former Arizona Nurse Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault After Incapacitated Patient Gives Birth to His Child

A former male nurse accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a vegetative state at an Arizona care facility has pled guilty to abuse charges.

The Maricopa County Attorney announced that Nathan Sutherland pled guilty to one charge of sexual assault and one charge of vulnerable adult abuse and is awaiting sentencing on Nov. 4.

In January 2019, Sutherland was arrested after a then-29-year-old woman in care at the Hacienda Healthcare facility gave birth on Dec. 29, 2018.

The woman, who could not verbally communicate, had been a resident at the facility since she was a toddler. The assault was only discovered after the woman went into labor.

Sutherland, who voluntarily surrendered his license after his arrest, worked as a practical nurse at the facility and was responsible for the woman’s care at the time of the assault.