A nurse has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and was ordered to serve two years of extended supervision after engaging in a sexual relationship with a patient and later falsely accusing him of sexual assault.
Melissa Knutson was convicted of misconduct in public office and obstructing an officer over the incident, which occurred in 2022 while she was working with the Monroe County Drug Court. She was responsible for administering Vivotrol, a medication used to treat substance abuse, to the patient.
According to prosecutors, when authorities began investigating the inappropriate relationship, Knutson alleged that the patient had sexually assaulted her, claiming she stayed silent out of fear that he might harm her or her family.
However, text messages later obtained by investigators showed that she initiated the relationship and even vowed to deny everything if they were exposed. She later admitted the assault claim was fabricated in an attempt to avoid the consequences.
