Man accused of fondling nurse ruled competent

The Salt Lake Tribune - December 2, 2009

Dec. 2--A judge on Tuesday found a Bountiful man --accused of groping a nurse while at the hospital to witness his baby's birth -- competent to stand trial.

Adam Jay Manning, 31, was charged in October with second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse in 2nd District Court.

Manning's attorney, Roy Cole, had asked for a psychological evaluation, and 2nd District Court Judge Scott Hadley found Manning competent based on those reports.

Manning took a woman in labor to McKay-Dee Hospital at around 3 a.m. Oct. 9 . When a nurse came to assist the couple, Manning looked the nurse "up and down" and made a comment, Ogden police Lt. Loring Draper said.

The nurse ignored Manning and continued helping the woman, who was in a wheelchair and waiting to be taken to a delivery room.

Manning, however, told the nurse something looked wrong with her neck. He then allegedly attempted to massage the nurse's neck and grabbed her breast, Draper said. She pushed him away and moved to the other side of the wheelchair, Draper said, but he allegedly groped her a second time.

When the nurse told the pregnant woman about Manning's behavior, she replied he was "just drunk," Draper said. The nurse later reported the incident to police, who arrested Manning on suspicion of felony forcible sexual abuse.

He remains in Weber County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail. Hadley set a Dec. 15 preliminary hearing for Manning. If convicted, Manning could face

one to 15 years in prison.

Cole told the Ogden Standard-Examiner in October that Manning doesn't remember the incident because he was disoriented from medication he was taking for an injury. Cole said at that time that Manning missed the birth of his child and hasn't seen the baby.

Manning pleaded guilty in February 2008 to shoplifting, a class B misdemeanor, and was sentenced to a year of probation that included classes at New Horizons, a mental health and substance abuse treatment center. In June, Manning pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, also a class B misdemeanor.

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