Ohio man charged with raping 10-year-old girl who traveled to Indiana for abortion

Gershon Fuentes, 27, was arrested Tuesday and ordered held Wednesday on a $2 million bond

The girl was denied health care in Ohio, one of the first states to ban the procedure after six weeks, – no exceptions for rape or incest

Three days past the six-week mark, the girl went to Indiana instead

Fuentes, who is accused of impregnating the 10-year-old, was arrested Tuesday after allegedly confessing to raping the child on at least two occasions

He has since been charged with rape, a felony of the first degree

If convicted, Fuentes a café worker who is believed to be staying in the country illegally for the past seven years, would face a potential life sentence in prison

An Ohio man has been arrested and charged with raping a 10-year-old girl whose out-of-state abortion drew national headline amid the furor of the US Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Gershon Fuentes was arrested Tuesday and ordered held Wednesday on a $2 million bond, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Fuentes, 27 is accused of impregnating the 10-year-old.
Fuentes whose last known address was an apartment on Columbus’ Northwest Side, was arrested Tuesday after police say he confessed to raping the child on at least two occasions.
He has since been charged with rape, a felony of the first degree in Ohio.
At his arraignment on Wednesday, Det. Jeffrey Huhn testified that 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.
On June 30, the girl underwent a medical abortion in Indianapolis.
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, Huhn also testified.
The victim when interviewed police Fuentes was the father of the pregnancy. The child had just turned 10 recently, meaning she was likely impregnated at 9 years old, police said.  
The young girl, who has not been publicly identified, was first written about on July 1 by the Indianapolis Star in an article about women traveling for abortions. The girl had been denied health care in Ohio, one of the first states to ban the procedure after six weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Three days past the six-week mark, the girl went to Indiana instead.
The story drew condemnation, including from President Biden while signing an executive order on abortion access on July 8.
“This isn’t some imagined horror. It is already happening,” he said. “Just last week, it was reported that a 10-year-old girl was a rape victim — 10 years old — and she was forced to have to travel out of state to Indiana to seek to terminate the pregnancy and maybe save her life.”
But others denied the story was true, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who told Fox News that he hadn’t heard “a whisper” about it. In a separate interview, he accused the Star of having an “ax to grind.”
However, as soon as news of the arraignment of the Columbus man accused in the child’s rape came on Wednesday, Yost issued a single sentence statement: “My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child,” Yost said in a statement Wednesday. “I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street.”
During Wednesday’s hearing, Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Dan Meyer requested Fuentes be held without bond. He said Fuentes is not believed to be in the country legally and there are questions about his identity.
Huhn testified that detectives spoke to Fuentes, through an interpreter, and Fuentes admitted to having sexual contact with the girl. An interpreter was also used during Wednesday’s hearing. 
If convicted, Fuentes a café worker who is believed to be staying in the country illegally for the past seven years, would face a potential life sentence in prison.