Tuesday, 1 Oct 2024

Man charged with raping girl, 10, forced to travel to another state for abortion

A man has been charged with impregnating a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was forced to travel to Indiana to have an abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.

Gershon Fuentes, 27, was arrested on Tuesday after confessing that he raped the girl at least twice, according to police. He has been charged with rape, which a felony of the first degree in Ohio, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

The case gained national attention after The Indianapolis Star earlier this month reported that a 10-year-old rape victim crossed state lines to have an abortion since her home state of Ohio banned the procedure hours after the Supreme Court’s 6-3 vote.

President Joe Biden spoke in disbelief about the case last week before signing an executive order aimed at protecting access to abortion and reproductive health services.

‘A 10-year-old girl should be forced to give birth to a rapist’s child?’ said Biden on Friday. ‘Does anyone believe it’s Ohio’s majority view that that should not be able to be dealt with?’

Columbus police found out about the girl’s pregnancy through a referral from Franklin County Children Services, Detective Jeffrey Huhn testified during Fuentes’ arraignment on Wednesday morning. Her mother reported the incident on June 22, and the girl had an abortion in Indianapolis on June 30.

DNA from the clinic in Indianapolis, from Fuentes, from the girl’s siblings and the aborted fetus are being tested for confirmation, according to Huhn.

Fuentes’ last known address was an apartment in the northwest side of Columbus, but he is believed to be undocumented. He is being held in Franklin County jail on a $2million bond.

Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Cynthia Ebner said the case did not warrant Fuentes to be held without bond, but that the bond was set high for the girl’s safety and because he could be at flight risk.

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