Warning: This article contains discussion of baby loss which some readers may find distressing

A man has been apprehended after allegedly administering four abortion pills to his girlfriend without her knowledge to cause a miscarriage.

Emerson Evans, a resident of Illinois, US, faces charges of two counts of intentional homicide of an unborn child, as stated in a press release from Bloomington police.

Officers responded to a residence in Bloomington last Friday (22 August) around 7 pm, where they discovered a pregnant woman experiencing a medical emergency.

Investigations revealed that Evans, 31, had given the abortion pills to the woman without her consent, resulting in a miscarriage.

At the time of the miscarriage, she was seven weeks pregnant, IPM Newsroom reports.

Evans reportedly inserted four Mifepristone pills into his girlfriend’s vagina, a medication intended for oral use, with the recommended dosage being just one pill.

Emerson Evans, 31, has been charged with two counts of intentional homicide of an unborn child after allegedly drugging his girlfriend with four abortion pills (Bloomington Police Department)

While abortion is legal in Illinois, each count of intentional homicide of an unborn child carries a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.

"We are again saddened by the alleged criminal actions which resulted in harm to others," Police Chief Jamal Simington stated. "It is my hope the mother involved in the matter fully recovers and has the resources and support of this strong community in the future.

"The officers and detectives worked diligently and honorably through this very tough investigation."

The incident is currently still under investigation.

"Frankly, the number of pills demonstrates a lack of knowledge or consent," Judge Amy McFarland said during the court hearing.

Evans sought to 'enforce his beliefs of what should happen without consent. That involved taking a life', McFarland informed IPM.

He confessed to police that he 'made the decision' for his girlfriend, the judge noted.

Regrettably, this isn't an isolated incident.

In July, Scottish paramedic Stephen Doohan was jailed for 10 years and six months after inserting an abortion drug into a woman’s vagina without her knowledge during consensual sex.

Earlier this month, a Texas woman, whose identity is not disclosed in the media, sued both an abortion pill supplier and her ex-boyfriend whom she claims terminated her pregnancy using drugs he obtained from the group.

She alleged the US Marine impregnated her and then pressured her to take the pills from the service for weeks, even though she didn't want an abortion.

The victim claimed the man secretly dissolved at least 10 abortion pills into a cup of hot chocolate he prepared for her, then left the house and ignored her as she began bleeding, reports NBC News.

Scottish paramedic Stephen Doohan was sentenced to 10 years and six months behind bars for the same crime (Scottish Ambulance Service)

She was eight weeks pregnant at the time and, within 30 minutes of drinking the hot chocolate, the suit states, the woman began experiencing severe bleeding and cramping.

The victim's three children were asleep upstairs, so she requested the man to pick up her mother and bring her over to watch them while he drove her to the emergency room.

However, she claims he became unreachable, forcing her to turn to a neighbor for help.

Around 12:30 am, she texted the man saying: "I am gushing blood. Please hurry."

He apologised and mentioned he had a flight to catch the next day. Instead, the neighbor drove her to the hospital, where unfortunately her unborn baby did not survive.

Upon returning home, the woman claims she discovered an open box of abortion pills and a pill bottle in her home.

If you need support and advice following a pregnancy loss, you can contact the Tommy’s team at midwife@tommys.org. You can also call them for free on 0800 014 7800, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.