WA nurse accused of forced abortion appears in court

Nurse practitioner accused of rape appears in court

David Benjamin Coots, a 42-year-old nurse from Gig Harbor, found himself back in court today for a reserved bail hearing amid shocking allegations of assault and rape.

Editor's Note: This story contains graphic content.

David Benjamin Coots, a 42-year-old nurse from Gig Harbor, found himself back in court today for a reserved bail hearing amid shocking allegations of assault and rape. Coots faces charges of third-degree rape, second-degree assault, tampering with a witness, and multiple violations of a court order.

The case involves disturbing allegations that Coots, a married man, forced abortion pills into another woman.

The victim, whose identity is protected, had recently told Coots she was pregnant. The woman had been seeing Coots for about a year before the incident. Documents said Coots was the woman's primary care provider.

According to a letter written by the victim, she did not know Coots was married, and when she found out, he lied and said they were divorcing.

The victim reported that after the incident, Coots acted strangely and left her residence. It was only after she found a pill later that evening that Coots reportedly admitted to inserting four pills, claiming they "cause miscarriages."

The situation escalated when the victim sought medical assistance at an emergency room and underwent a rape kit examination. In the aftermath, she claimed to have received intimidating messages from Coots and his wife, Melissa Marie Coots, threatening repercussions if she spoke to the police.

David Coots was subsequently arrested on March 11 for violating a court order, further complicating the legal proceedings. Despite his release on a $500,000 bond, Coots' legal battle continues.

During Wednesday's court proceedings, the prosecution asked the judge to increase Coots' bail by $50k. The state argued Coots immediately disobeyed his conditions for release by sharing details of the case with family members.

However, the judge denied the request, keeping the bail at half a million dollars, which Coots already posted.

Coots is still listed as a licensed nurse in the state, but he is now under investigation by the Washington State Board of Nursing.

"I can’t give you an explicit time frame of how long this case is going to take, but we know it will be less than 30 days because of the attention that it’s getting and the severity of the charges," said Alison Bradywood, the executive director of the Washington State Board of Nursing.

While Coots license is still active, at least one of his employers tells us he no longer has a job with them.

In a statement to FOX 13 Seattle, MultiCare, where Coots was formerly employed, confirmed that he no longer works for the organization. MultiCare emphasized their commitment to patient safety and stated that they are conducting a thorough investigation into the allegations.

This distressing case has prompted discussions about the safety and accountability of healthcare providers, with a reminder to victims of sexual assault that help is available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

As this story continues to develop, we will provide updates as new information emerges.