A man faces two first-degree felony charges after prosecutors say he secretly gave his pregnant girlfriend abortion medication, resulting in the loss of her baby.
MONTGOMERY, Texas — A Montgomery County man accused of secretly drugging his pregnant girlfriend with abortion medication has been indicted on two first-degree felony charges, the Montgomery County District Attorney announced at a news conference Tuesday.
Jon Demeter, who has been in the Montgomery County Jail since February, faces charges of inducing an abortion and intentional injury to a child, according to prosecutors. The district attorney said the case could be the first prosecuted in Texas under the state’s abortion performance statute.
Demeter is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
According to court documents, Demeter allegedly obtained abortion medication online, had it shipped through the mail, crushed the pills, mixed them into a Liquid IV drink mix, and administered it to the woman without her knowledge. Court records also allege Demeter told the woman the medication “worked well” on other women he had gotten pregnant.
The woman told investigators she began feeling ill shortly after and took herself to an urgent care facility before being rushed to a hospital. She subsequently lost the baby. Investigators say she later told them she believed Demeter had intentionally given her something to cause the miscarriage.
Demeter was taken into custody days later. He admitted to purchasing the abortion drug but told investigators he gave it away and did not administer it himself, according to authorities.
District Attorney Mike Holley addressed the case at the news conference, sending a direct message to anyone considering similar actions.
“In Texas, life matters, even the unborn, especially the unborn in many cases, and if somebody is considering doing this to a woman, they should think twice, especially if they are in our county because the sheriff will act, we will act and we will seek accountability for those behaviors.”
The unborn child’s mother and family members attended the news conference, with some wiping away tears as the charges were read, though none of them spoke publicly. The baby would have been named Presley Mae.
Investigators say it remains unclear whether charges could be filed against the organization accused of supplying the abortion medication, as that portion of the investigation is still ongoing.
Demeter is expected back in court Wednesday, where a judge could set bond.
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