Hacienda HealthCare: Former nurse sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting an intellectually disabled woman

news7g12/03/2021

2 1 minute read

Hacienda HealthCare: Former nurse sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting an intellectually disabled woman

Nathan D. Sutherland, formerly a licensed practice nurse caring for the woman, was charged with instilling her in 2018 while she was in a vegetative state at the facility, prosecutors said. She shocked the staff by born at the facility in December 2018, with one person telling a 911 dispatcher, “We didn’t know she was pregnant.”

In January 2019, Sutherland was arrested after his DNA sample matched the baby’s, police said.

Former nurse pleads guilty to sexually abusing an intellectually disabled woman in a long-term care facility

In September, Sutherland pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and abusing a vulnerable adult, court records show, at the Hacienda HealthCare facility in Phoenix, where the victim had lived for many years.

The woman who was once a Patient at Hacienda since 1992 suffered significant intellectual disability as a result of her childhood epilepsy, her family told CNN, and has since left the facility.

Sutherland will be on probation for life and will be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison, Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel said in a statement.

“The sentencing is the maximum allowed under the agreement and takes into account many aggravating and mitigating factors, including the victim’s vulnerability and the victim’s position of trust,” Adel said. fox,” Adel said. “This sentence honors the wishes of the victims in this case.”

CNN has reached out to Sutherland’s attorney for comment.

After the sexual assault was revealed, Hacienda HealthCare said it was making changes to ensure patient safety, including new security cameras and retraining staff on abuse procedures. use and neglect.

CNN’s Aya Elamroussi contributed to this report.

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