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A man has been charged with the rape of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who crossed state lines for an abortion after the overturn of Roe v. Wade made the procedure unavailable in her home state.
Gershon Fuentes, 27, was arrested on Tuesday, according to Franklin County, Ohio, Municipal Court documents. He confessed to raping the unnamed 10-year-old girl, who travelled to Indiana for an abortion in June.
Fuentes was charged with the rape of a minor, a charge that carries a potential life sentence and deportation, the documents state. According to the BBC, Fuentes is a Guatemalan citizen and is in the U.S. illegally.
Fuentes appeared in a Columbus, Ohio court on Wednesday.
His bond was set at US$2-million. An initial hearing is scheduled for next week.
Before Fuentes’ arrest, news of the unnamed girl’s journey from Ohio to Indiana received overwhelming media attention.
The Indianapolis Star reported the girl, who was six weeks pregnant, travelled to Indianapolis to see Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an obstetrician/gynecologist who provides abortion services, after a referral from a child abuse doctor in Ohio.
Just hours after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June, Ohio enacted the “fetal heartbeat” law, a ban which makes most abortions illegal after six weeks. There is no legal exception for rape or incest in Ohio.
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke about the 10-year-old rape victim as he condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to end constitutional rights to abortion last week.
“She was forced to have to travel out of the state to Indiana to seek to terminate the pregnancy and maybe save her life,” Biden said. “Ten years old, raped, six weeks pregnant, already traumatized, was forced to travel to another state.”
“Imagine being that little girl,” Biden said.
Before the arrest of Fuentes on Tuesday, several conservative media outlets, personalities and elected officials cast doubt on the legitimacy of the girl’s claims.
Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, tweeted about the story on Tuesday, calling it “another lie.”
When Fuentes appeared in court on Wednesday, Jordan quietly deleted his tweet, writing another that called for the attacker to be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost appeared on Fox News, where he said the story was likely “a fabrication.” After Fuentes’ arrest, he released another statement saying, “We rejoice anytime a child rapist is taken off the streets.”
The U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was announced on June 24.
The ruling abolished the Roe v. Wade landmark decision, which has guaranteed the right to an abortion for more than 50 years in the U.S.
In a 5-4 decision, the top court upheld a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after the 15th week of gestation, while also abolishing the legal precedent Roe v. Wade established in 1973 and the 1992 decision that reaffirmed it, Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
The question of whether abortions are legal will now be left up to individual states, which could lead to widespread differences in access across the U.S.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
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