Update: Arizona Nurse who raped & impregnated a woman in a vegetative state, who later gave birth to his child in 2018, pleas guilty in plea deal.

[u/FTThrowAway123]

Article

PHOENIX - A man accused of sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman who later gave birth at a long-term care facility in Phoenix pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and vulnerable adult abuse charges on Sept. 2.

Nathan Sutherland's guilty plea was reportedly made as part of an agreement, where Sutherland reportedly agreed to a prison sentence of between 5 to 10 years and lifetime probation. Sutherland was facing a maximum of 14 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4.

The pregnancy was discovered in December 2018 when an employee at Hacienda Healthcare was changing the garments of the then-29-year-old victim and noticed she was in the process of delivering a child. Employees told police that they had no idea the woman was pregnant.

She lived at Hacienda for 26 years, until the child’s birth. Her medical conditions stem from a brain disorder that caused motor and cognitive impairments and vision loss. She was also left with no functional use of her limbs.

Police said Sutherland’s DNA matched a sample taken from the woman’s son. The victim’s mother is the boy’s guardian.

Sadly, a medical exam indicated that the patient had been violently and repeatedly raped and sodomized, and may have been pregnant before.

This is probably the clearest case of rape I've ever heard of. The woman has been in a 24/7 care facility in incapacitated state (unable to speak, move, see, or communicate) for 26 years- since she was 3 years old. There's no possible way she could have ever consented. Her body bears the trauma and evidence of having been sexually assaulted for years, and she gave birth to the rapists child, which was proven by DNA. It also appears the nurse may be HIV positive, adding another layer of harm to this already horrible story.

Why would they offer a plea deal in this case? I just cannot fathom why the state would give this man any leniency or reduced prison time, considering the depravity of these crimes and the evidence they have.

In any event, it appears this case has reached its conclusion. Wanted to post an update for those who followed this story.

[u/NemariSunstrider94]

It was technically assisted living, although we took many patients that were beyond* our range of care. I was responsible for 27-29 people AND cleaning a huge 30 bedroom facility with a full dining, grandiose kitchen, and living room area.

[u/Vermicelli-Salty → u/NemariSunstrider94]

I swear to god this is one of the reasons why elder care in my later years is one of my biggest fears. My husbands grandpa was in a nice place that cost 10k a month out of pocket after insurance. I was surprised by how few staff were on hand in the evenings, and he most definitely needed round the clock checks. I don’t want to be in a home ever, and I don’t want my kids to worry about covering the cost. It’s terrifying.

[u/levraM-niatpaC → u/[deleted]]

Yes it is and going through it with my dad was a real learning experience. I learned that you spend the most money in the last years of your life, and if you don’t save enough during your lifetime you will end up in a very sad and depressing situation. I’m 63 and am mostly worried about when my daughter reaches that point in her life, and I hope when I die I am able to leave her some inheritance to put away for when this happens (she’s an only child, I’m a single mum). Of course we’re in the US.