Former Arizona nurse sentenced to 10 years for impregnating incapacitated patient

Judge claims former nurse exploited position of trust in abusing patient

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY/AP) - A former Arizona nurse was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday for sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman at a long-term care facility where she later gave birth.

Nathan Sutherland received the maximum punishment called for under his plea agreement.

The judge said Sutherland exploited his position of trust to sexually abuse a vulnerable adult.

“It’s hard to imagine a more vulnerable adult than the victim in this case,” shared Superior Court Judge Margaret LaBianca, adding that Sutherland exploited his position of trust as a caregiver to sexually abuse the victim.

Sutherland apologized to the woman he sexually exploited in court.

“To the victim, I am sorry,” Sutherland expressed. “You didn’t deserve to be hurt no matter what was going on in my personal life and the demons I was fighting. I had no right to put you through that.”

This pregnancy was discovered in December 2018, when an employee at the Hacienda Healthcare facility in Phoenix was changing the garments of the then-29-year-old victim and noticed the patient was in the process of delivering a child.

Employees told police that they had no idea the woman was pregnant.