Police said an alleged illegal immigrant confessed this week to repeatedly raping a 10-year-old Ohio girl who reportedly got pregnant and subsequently had an abortion in Indiana.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, Gershon Fuentes, 27, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with first-degree rape. Authorities said Fuentes confessed that he raped the child at least twice.
On June 22, the girl’s mother notified Franklin County Children Services that the 10-year-old was pregnant, at which point police were notified, Columbus Police Det. Jeffrey Huhn testified during Fuentes’ arraignment on Wednesday.
The girl received an abortion on June 30 in Indianapolis, Huhn added. DNA from the abortion is being tested to confirm Fuentes raped the child. Her siblings are also being tested.
Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Cynthia Ebner said Fuentes, who is being held at Franklin County jail, is a possible flight risk and danger to the young girl. As a result, his bail was set at $2 million.
Ohio Attorney General David Yost said Ohio state law would not have prevented the 10-year-old from receiving an abortion. It remains unclear why the girl went to Indiana for the procedure.
After Fuentes’ arrest, Yost said in a statement, “My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child. I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street. Justice must be served and BCI stands ready to support law enforcement across Ohio putting these criminals behind bars.”
Earlier this week, Yost cast doubt on the story’s veracity, saying during an appearance on Fox News that there was “not a whisper” of a case involving an impregnated child.
“We work closely with the decentralized law-enforcement system in Ohio, but we have regular contact with prosecutors and local police and sheriffs. Not a whisper anywhere,” Mr. Yost told Fox News host Jesse Watters.
“Something that may be even more telling: My office runs the crime lab,” Mr. Yost continued. “Any case like this, you’re going to have a rape kit, you’re going to have biological evidence, and you’d be looking for DNA analysis, which we do most of the DNA analysis in Ohio. There is no case request for an analysis that looks anything like this.”
“Ohio’s heartbeat law has a medical emergency exception broader than just the life of the mother,” he added. “This young girl, if she exists and if this horrible thing actually happened to her — it breaks my heart to think about it — she did not have to leave Ohio to find treatment.”
