A married Washington man who showed enthusiasm for his girlfriend's pregnancy, sneaked abortion pills inside her while having sexual intercourse in late January after she told him she might be pregnant, according to law enforcement.
As reported by The News Tribune, David Benjamin Coots, a 49-yer-old nurse practitioner, was charged by Pierce County prosecutors with second-degree assault with a domestic-violence emphasis, third-degree rape and witness tampering. He was arrested Monday for five counts of violating a domestic-violence court order, records show.
Coots and the Victim Started a Romantic Relationship in the Fall, He Told Her He was Going to Divorce His Wife
David was the alleged victim's primary-care provider, and they developed a romantic relationship in the fall. Coots told the woman mid-September he was married but that he and his wife were in the process of divorcing, according to court documents.
The woman told police that they had sex several times outside the hospital, and Coots would sometimes make his patients wait while he was with her. During one instance on Dec. 1, the woman was at his office for an appointment, and they allegedly had sexual contact, documents show.
Coots Pretended to be Supportive When Victim Told Her She was Pregnant
The woman told police that she believed she was pregnant after receiving five positive pregnancy tests and one inconclusive test. She told Coots about the pregnancy on Jan. 20, and the woman said he acted supportive, at one point asking her what type of stroller they should get, documents show.
She said that she was going to keep the baby and raise it with Coots, which he did not object to. Documents show that Coots and his wife, Melissa Coots, lived together at the time with their five children.
Coots Accused of Pushing Abortion Pill into Victim's Vagina During Sex
The woman and David had consensual sex on Jan. 27. She told police that during intercourse, David allegedly put his finger into her vagina farther and much harder than usual. He allegedly acted strange after the interaction and made sure she stayed home that night, charging documents show.
When he left her home, the woman noticed a pill fall from her vagina. She soon discovered three more pills and a foil inside of her. When she texted David about the pills, he said they were Misoprostol/ Cytotec pills, which are known to cause miscarriage.
That evening, the woman went to the St. Anthony emergency room and more medication was found inside her. She told police that she suffered abnormal bleeding and stomach pain for three days. When she took a pregnancy test, it came out as negative.
A doctor told her the bleeding could have been caused by a possible miscarriage, documents show. The doctor could not confirm whether there was a pregnancy or miscarriage.
David Made the Victim Coffee, Made a 'Big Deal' About it When She Spilled it
Court documents show that on Jan. 26, one day before the incident, David made the woman coffee. He commented multiple times that she was not drinking it, and at one point made it a "big deal" that she spilled it when he hit a speed bump in the car.
Following the Jan. 27 incident, the woman asked David if he put something in the coffee, and he just laughed and asked her if it tasted funny, according to court records.
David, His Wife Tried to Pay Victim Because 'They Did Not Want Their Lives Ruined'
Coots' wife, Melissa was also charged Wednesday with tampering with a witness. She and David are accused of showing up at the girlfriend's house and trying to pay her to not pursue legal and medical aid as "they did not want their lives ruined," charging documents show.
A restraining order against David Coots was served on Feb. 5. The woman said she received an anonymous email, which she later learned was from Coots. Coots allegedly emailed the woman about five times. Coots allegedly violated the protection order again on March 11 when he showed up to the woman's brother's home with flowers, a letter and his copy of a key to her home, documents show.
A Pierce County Superior Court court commissioner set Coots' bail at $500,000 on Wednesday. Court records show that the defendant submitted a bail bond receipt and was scheduled to be release from jail Thursday afternoon.
