MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – A man accused of spiking his pregnant girlfriend’s drink with an abortion pill in Montgomery County, leading to the death of her unborn child, appeared in court Thursday.
Jon Demeter was indicted on a first-degree abortion charge by a grand jury this week. He is also charged with injury to a child.
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Thursday, a judge set his total bond at $300,000. Demeter had been held without bond since his arrest in February, when he was initially charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Neither the prosecution nor Demeter’s attorney spoke to KPRC 2.
The abortion charge carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office says a case like this may be the first of its kind in the state.
Investigators allege Demeter ordered a pill online, crushed up a white pill, and slipped it into a drink before insisting his girlfriend consume it all. According to a search warrant affidavit, the woman told investigators the drink tasted “bitter” and ”fizzy.”
The affidavit states within hours, she went to the hospital cramping and bleeding and later delivered the fetus. Investigators say the pregnancy was about 14 weeks along and the unborn child did not survive.
“It has never been lawful for someone to perform an abortion in the manner against a woman and against her consent of this nature,” Montgomery County District Attorney Mike Holley said. “If somebody’s considering doing this to a woman, they should think twice, especially if they’re in our county.”
Holley said an investigation continues with the Texas Attorney General’s Office related to the website where Demeter allegedly admitted to buying the pills, although the affidavit indicates he told investigators he gave the pills away and didn’t put them in her drink.
Texas law only allows narrow exceptions for an abortion, when done by a medical professional for a medical reason, like saving the life of the pregnant woman or preventing a major impairment.