10-year-old travels to Indiana for abortion and Columbus man arrested: Here's what we know
A Columbus man has been charged with impregnating a 10-year-old girl, whose travel to Indiana to receive an abortion captured international attention following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade and activation of Ohio's abortion law.
Gerson Fuentes, 27, was arrested Tuesday after police say he confessed to raping the child on at least two occasions.
Fuentes appeared in court for the first time Wednesday. He's being held in the Franklin County jail on a $2 million bond. If convicted, Fuentes would face a potential life sentence in prison.
Here's what we know about the case:
Who's Gerson Fuentes?
Not much is known about Fuentes or his association with the 10-year-old. His last known address was an apartment on Columbus' Northwest Side.
Clark Torbett, an attorney with the Franklin County Public Defender’s office, said during Wednesday's hearing that Fuentes has lived in Columbus for the past seven years and had a steady job at a café.
During the hearing, Det. Jeffrey Huhn testified that Fuentes is believed to be undocumented.
On Thursday, a representative for Franklin County Children Services declined to specify to The Dispatch whether the agency is aware of any complaints against Fuentes, citing sections of the Ohio Revised Code making information obtained by child welfare agencies confidential and not subject to public disclosure.
Fuentes is next due in court on July 22 for a preliminary hearing.
When were Columbus police notified?
Columbus police were made aware of the girl's pregnancy through a referral by Franklin County Children Services that was made by her mother on June 22, Huhn testified Wednesday morning in court. On June 30, the girl underwent a medical abortion in Indianapolis, Huhn said, just six days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Why has the case attracted so much attention?
The Indianapolis Star, a Gannett sister paper of The Dispatch, first reported earlier this month that a 10-year-old rape victim traveled from Ohio to Indiana for abortion services after most abortions became illegal in her home state. The account was attributed to Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis physician who provides abortion services.
The story quickly went viral, appearing in outlets across the globe, and became a top talking point for abortion rights supporters, including President Joe Biden.
"Imagine being that little girl," Biden said last week as he decried the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. "I’m serious. Just imagine being that little girl."
But in recent days, some abortion opponents, Republican politicians and news outlets had criticized the story as unproven. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost was among those who questioned the validity of the account during an appearance on Fox News this week.
10-year-old girl's abortion: Ohio AG Dave Yost cast doubt on 10-year-old rape victim case, now 'rejoices" at arrest
What happened at Wednesday's hearing?
At Wednesday's hearing, during which bond was set, Huhn testified that when detectives spoke to Fuentes through an interpreter, he admitted to having sexual contact with the 10-year-old girl. An interpreter was also used during Wednesday's hearing.
The child also told police that Fuentes was the father of the pregnancy, Huhn testified.
Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Dan Meyer said the girl had just turned 10 recently, meaning she was likely impregnated at 9 years old.
Huhn also testified that DNA from the clinic in Indianapolis is being tested against samples from Fuentes, as well as the child's siblings, to confirm contribution to the aborted fetus.
Is abortion legal in Ohio?
For now, abortion is legal in Ohio up until fetal cardiac activity can be detected, usually about six weeks into a pregnancy.
The six-week abortion ban took effect after a federal judge granted Yost's motion to dissolve the injunction on Ohio's "heartbeat bill," which was signed into law in 2019.
The law holds no exceptions for rape or incest. But an abortion after six weeks could be legal if it prevented "the death of a pregnant woman" or "a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function," according to a non-partisan analysis by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.
Will Ohio ban abortion outright?
The Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly is expected to pass a full ban on abortion later this year. Lawmakers are on an extended break until September and some think it will be at least November or December before a full ban bill is considered.
On Monday, State Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery) introduced a bill that would effectively ban all abortions, except to save the life of a mother.
Ohio must "recognize the personhood, and protect the constitutional rights, of all unborn human individuals from the moment of conception," House Bill 704 reads.
Gov. Mike DeWine, a consistent supporter of abortion restrictions, has indicated he would sign legislation to ban all abortions in Ohio.
Columbus Dispatch reporters Bethany Bruner and Eric Lagatta contributed to this report, as did Indianapolis Star reporter Tony Cook. Laura Bischoff and Titus Wu, reporters for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio, also contributed.
Monroe Trombly covers breaking and trending news.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What to know about 10-year-old rape survivor and Columbus man arrested
