Arizona nurse charged with raping incapacitated woman pleads not guilty
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 36-year-old nurse accused of raping an intellectually disabled woman who later gave birth at an Arizona long-term health care facility pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a sexual assault charge.
Nathan Sutherland was accused of raping the 29-year-old victim at the Hacienda HealthCare facility after the woman stunned her caregivers and family in December by giving birth to a baby boy.
Sutherland's hearing only lasted a few minutes. He identified himself and stated his date of birth before pleading not guilty to charges of sexual assault and abuse of a vulnerable adult.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ARIZONA NURSE ACCUSED OF RAPING WOMAN 'FOOLED EVERYBODY,' MOTHER OF FELLOW PATIENT SAYS
Employees at the facility at the time said they didn't know the victim was pregnant. Court records said her last known physical was in April.
Nathan Sutherland, who is accused of raping a woman who later gave birth at a long-term care facility in Phoenix, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a sexual assault charge. (FOX 10)
Investigators tested the DNA of all male employees who worked at the facility and later said Sutherland's DNA matched a sample from the newborn child. Sutherland's attorney has previously said there's no direct evidence linking his client to the alleged rape.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sutherland's attorney told ABC15 after the hearing Tuesday that Sutherland wants a fair trial.
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The Dec. 29 birth triggered reviews by state agencies, highlighted safety concerns for patients who are severely disabled or incapacitated. The incident also prompted the resignations of Hacienda's chief executive and one of the victim's doctors.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nathan Sutherland, 36, was arrested for the sexual assault of an incapacitated woman at a long term care facility in Arizona. (AP/Maricopa County Jail)
The woman's parents, through their attorney, have disputed characterizations that their daughter is comatose or in a vegetative state, according to the Associated Press. They described her as being intellectually disabled because of seizures in early childhood. While she doesn't speak, she has some mobility in her limbs, head and neck. She also responds to sound and can make facial gestures.
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Sutherland was a popular high school athlete who later dabbled in Christian rap and eventually, as a married father of four, became a respected licensed practical nurse. He was fired from the healthcare facility and has since given up his nursing license.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 36-year-old is scheduled to appear in court again for an initial pretrial conference on March 19, FOX10 reported.
Fox News' Nicole Darrah, Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.