Inset: John Ruben Demeter (Montgomery County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The Montgomery County Jail in Conroe, Texas (Google Maps).
A Texas resident is potentially facing a lengthy prison sentence after allegedly administering abortion pills to a woman without her consent, as reported by authorities in Texas.
John Ruben Demeter, age 25, has been charged with unlawfully performing an abortion and causing harm to a child, according to a statement from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Details of the case were shared in a press release.
The statement reveals that Demeter allegedly administered an abortion-inducing drug to a woman without her awareness, leading to the termination of her pregnancy.
The situation was brought to light in February when the woman sought medical care, suspecting she had unknowingly consumed abortion drugs.
During a recent press conference, Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle explained that Demeter had ordered the medication online and had it delivered to his residence.
Investigators suspect that Demeter crushed the pills and secretly mixed them into at least one beverage he provided to the woman.
“He covertly crushed that medication and mixed it in a water bottle with a liquid I.V. packet, and this was done with this specific intent to cause the death of the child,” Doolittle said.
The pregnancy is believed to have been some 14 weeks along when the unborn child was killed, according to law enforcement.
“That baby, Presley Mae, was stillborn at the hospital, weighed about 55 grams,” the sheriff added.
In response to significant media attention over Demeter’s original arrest, officials on Wednesday stressed that the latest charges “stem from allegations involving the non-consensual administration of medication and the resulting harm alleged in the investigation.”
During the Wednesday press conference, prosecutors also said they believe the case against Demeter may be historic in that it is the first of its kind under the state’s anti-abortion statute.
Deputies were first called to the hospital over a miscarriage that had occurred under suspicious circumstances, law enforcement said.
The defendant’s girlfriend suspected the child’s father had poisoned her to end the pregnancy, according to a report by Houston-based ABC affiliate KTRK. The woman told investigators that her boyfriend wanted her to abort the baby and offered to pay for her travel so she could legally get the medical procedure performed out of state.
Investigators believe Demeter gave his then-girlfriend mifepristone, a drug illegal in Texas under the state’s abortion ban.
“These allegations describe conduct that is both deeply troubling and profoundly harmful,” prosecutor Laura Hill said. “Our responsibility is to carefully evaluate the evidence, apply the law as written, and seek justice on behalf of victims and this community.”
Initially, Demeter faced charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has been detained in the Montgomery County Jail since he was arrested on Feb. 23, two days after the miscarriage.
Now, the defendant is facing two first-degree felonies and could spend a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted.
“This case represents allegations of deliberate deception that resulted in devastating consequences,” Montgomery County District Attorney Mike Holley said. “The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue justice based on the facts, the evidence, and the laws of the State of Texas.”
