Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!
Former Nurse Accused Of Impregnating His 'Incapacitated' Patient Indicted On Sexual Assault Charges
Nathan Sutherland has been linked by DNA to the baby of the vulnerable victim, who staff didn't even know was pregnant before she gave birth.
The former Arizona nurse accused of impregnating a non-verbal and “incapacitated” patient, who recently gave birth, has now been indicted on sexual assault and abuse of a vulnerable adult charges.
Nathan Sutherland, 36, was supposedly responsible for the care of the 29-year-old woman, who has been disabled since the age of 3, at Hacienda HealthCare in Phoenix. She gave birth to a baby boy on Dec. 29, much to the shock of staff at the facility. They were unaware that she was even pregnant.
The charges were officially filed against the former nurse on Tuesday. Sutherland is expected to enter a plea next Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Sutherland worked for Hacienda HealthCare since 2012. He was terminated after police announced his arrest earlier this month. The facility said he passed an extensive background check, a fact they are reportedly “troubled” by.
He “fooled everyone,” according to another patient’s mother.
“He was very loving, very compassionate. Or he pretended to be. And I really trusted him," Angela Gomez, whose son was cared for by Sutherland, told KPHO-TV in Phoenix, Arizona. "Never in my wildest dreams would I think that he would be the suspect that the PD was looking for. I suspected others, but I was wrong, and he fooled everybody.”
Authorities say DNA from Sutherland matches DNA from the victim's baby. His defense attorney David Gregan said Sutherland has the right to get his own DNA expert. He also claims that there is no direct evidence linking his client to the alleged rape.
On Dec. 5, just three weeks before the victim gave birth, Sutherland's wife filed for divorce.
Sutherland was once one half of a Christian rap duo called Sleeplesssouljaz, the other half being his sister. They released their first album ”Certified Fake Face” in 2009. It has just one review on Amazon, a negative one, which is a response to Sutherland’s arrest.
[Photo: Maricopa County Jail]
