A married nurse in Gig Harbor, Washington, is facing rape and assault charges for allegedly forcing abortion pills on his pregnant girlfriend.
David Benjamin Coots, 42, is facing charges of third-degree rape, second-degree assault, tampering with a witness, and five counts of violation of a court order, FOX13 Seattle reported.
According to court records cited in the report, Coots allegedly forced abortion pills into his pregnant girlfriend’s vagina while they were having sex.
“…Coots and the victim first met when she went to his office in Jan. 2023, for an appointment at MultiCare in Gig Harbor. They became friends and then started dating in Sept. 2023 when Coots told her that he and his wife were getting a divorce,” the report states, citing court records. “In Jan. 2024, the victim said she had taken multiple pregnancy tests that were positive. She said Coots was ‘overly supportive’ when she told him about the pregnancy and said he would take care of everything.”
The woman told a deputy that she and Coots were having sex on Jan. 27 “when he put his fingers into her farther and harder than normal, and that Coots was acting strangely afterward,” the report states.
“She said after he left for the night, she noticed a pill fall from her vagina,” according to the report. “The victim said she asked Coots what the pill was. Eventually, according to documents, he told her he put four pills inside her that ’causes miscarriages.’”
The girlfriend subsequently had a rape kit performed at the emergency room, the report states.
“There was more medication 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,” the News Tribune reported. “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. The woman told police that she previously scheduled an appointment with her endocrinologist for Jan. 31 as it would [be] a high-risk pregnancy due to her medical issues.”
In the following days, the woman said Coots showed up at her house and sent her money. She told investigators she also received texts from his wife Melissa Coots threatening to “destroy her” if she went to the police and said his wife also offered her money to keep her quiet, the report states. Melissa Coots is also facing one count of tampering with a witness.
David Coots was arrested on March 11 for violating a court order and pursuing contact with the woman. He has since been released on $500,000 bond.
MultiCare, where Coots had worked, told FOX 13 News that he is no longer an employee:
MultiCare has no higher priority than the safety of our patients. We take these allegations of inappropriate behavior by our provider very seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation. The provider in question no longer works for Multicare.
Washington State Department of Health officials told the outlet the open and expedited investigation could result in the suspension or revocation of his license.
