Man Arrested in Rape of 10-Year-Old Ohio Girl Who Received Abortion in Indiana

Gerson Fuentes in a booking photograph. (Franklin County Jail)

A man suspected of being in the country illegally has been arrested for the rape of a 10-year-old girl in Ohio.

Gerson Fuentes, 27, was arrested on July 12 for rape of a person under 13 years old, according to court records reviewed by The Epoch Times. The offense took place on May 12.

Fuentes confessed at the Columbus Police Department headquarters after being served with a search warrant, according to a probable cause statement obtained by The Epoch Times.

Detective Jeffrey Huhn said in court that the suspect “waived his right and spoke with us and admitted to having vaginal intercourse with the victim on no less than two occasions.”

The girl who was raped, who just turned 10, identified Fuentes as the father of the child, according to Huhn.

The girl went to Indianapolis, Indiana, to receive an abortion on June 30, police said.

The case started after a referral from a Franklin County Children Services caseworker, according to the police. The mother of the victim spoke with a caseworker.

A probable cause statement said that detectives collected a saliva sample from Fuentes and Huhn said testing is pending.

The aborted fetus was also entered into evidence.

The judge set a bond of $2 million for Fuentes.

Fuentes is in the country illegally, according to a government official. He was provided a translator during the hearing.

Fuentes is currently being held in the Franklin County Jail, according to jail records.

Police Decline to Share Information

Reached after the hearing, the Columbus Police Department declined to share any further information.

“Out of compassion for the victims, the Columbus Division of Police will not comment on any rapes/sexual assaults of juveniles,” Sgt. Joe Albert, an aide to Police Chief Elaine Bryant, told The Epoch Times.

The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office said it was conducting a legal review of The Epoch Times’ request for documents on the case.

The Franklin County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing Gershon, did not respond to a request for comment.

A public defender said in court that there appeared to be no evidence definitively linking Fuentes to the crime.

“At this point really all you know for certain is that this 10-year-old girl was impregnated by somebody, correct?” he said.

“Correct. That’s all I know for certain, that she is pregnant or was pregnant, and somebody impregnated her and that Mr. Fuentes admitted to it,” Huhn responded.

Fuentes faces life in prison if convicted.

The story of the rape was first reported by the Indianapolis Star, based on an account from pro-abortion doctor Caitlin Bernard.

No other evidence was provided in the initial report, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost had cast doubt on whether it happened.

“My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child,“ Yost said in a statement on Wednesday. ”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 in putting these criminals behind bars." BCI refers to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

President Joe Biden cited the story in a speech on July 8 before signing an executive order aimed at ensuring women can get abortions in the wake of the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade.

“Some of the states don’t allow for exceptions for rape or incest,” Biden said. “Just last week, it was reported that a 10-year-old girl was a rape victim in Ohio—10 years old—and she was forced to have to travel out of the state, to Indiana, to seek to terminate the [pregnancy] and maybe save her life.”

Ohio legislators passed an abortion ban on pregnancies over six weeks that was signed into law by Gov. Mark DeWine, a Republican, in 2019. It took effect in June after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. The law has no exceptions for rape or incest, though it does allow abortions if they are deemed necessary to save a pregnant woman’s life.