Ohio — A man was charged with impregnating a 10-year-old Ohio girl whose travel to Indiana to seek an abortion led to international attention and became a flashpoint in the national furor over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Nearly all abortions after the detection of fetal cardiac activity became illegal in Ohio last month after the high court’s ruling. The story of a young girl traveling across state lines to receive an abortion – first reported by the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network – quickly went viral.
The account became a talking point for abortion rights supporters, including President Joe Biden, and some opponents and news outlets criticized the story as unproven. The criminal charges and testimony Wednesday confirm the disturbing story.
Gerson Fuentes, 27, whose last known address was an apartment in Columbus, was arrested Tuesday after police said he confessed to raping the child on at least two occasions. He’s charged with rape – a felony of the first degree in Ohio – and is held in the Franklin County jail on a $2 million bond.
The child’s mother reported the girl’s pregnancy to Franklin County Children Services on June 22, which informed Columbus police, Detective Jeffrey Huhn said Wednesday at Fuentes’ arraignment. The girl underwent a medical abortion in Indianapolis on June 30, Huhn said.
An Ohio 10-year-old crossed state lines for abortion care in Indiana. She isn’t alone.
The girl told police Fuentes was responsible for her pregnancy, Huhn testified. Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Daniel Meyer said she had recently turned 10, meaning she was probably impregnated at 9 years old.
Huhn testified that DNA from the clinic in Indianapolis is being tested against samples from Fuentes. Before being arrested, Huhn and Columbus police Detective David Phillips collected a saliva sample from Fuentes, according to a probable cause statement.
Last month, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the decision in 1973 that established a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling triggered a cascade of state-level prohibitions, including in Ohio, where a “heartbeat” bill became law hours after the opinion was released.
The law prohibits abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected, including in cases of rape or incest. Fetal cardiac activity is typically detected around six weeks of gestation, when most people usually do not know they are pregnant. The only exception to Ohio’s law is if the life of the mother is in jeopardy.
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