Gerson Fuentes indictment: Man charged for assaulting 10-year-old Ohio girl who had abortion in Indiana

On Thursday, July 21, an Ohio grand jury handed down a two-count indictment charge against Gerson Fuentes, 27, for abusing a 10-year-old girl. The victim traveled to Indiana to get an abortion because she was unable to do so in her home state.

Gerson Fuentes has been charged with two counts of felony rape, according to an indictment handed down by a jury in Franklin County, Ohio. The indictment further revealed that the girl was just 9 years old at the time she was assaulted, younger than the 10 years of age widely reported at the time of her out-of-state abortion.

During an arraignment last week, Detective Jeffrey Huhn testified that Fuentes was arrested on July 12 after he confessed to abusing the child at least twice. According to the affidavit, the girl had named Fuentes as the person who had assaulted her six days prior to his detention.

Fuentes, a Guatemalan national who has been residing illegally in the United States, is due in court on Monday, July 25. His bond was set by a Franklin County judge at $2 million. The defendant does not currently have an attorney on record.

However, the victim's mother supported Gerson Fuentes in a brief conversation with a reporter and said:

"Everything that they’re saying against him is a lie."

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Gerson Fuentes’ crimes sparks nationwide discussions

The case raised discussions over the ban on abortion, as President Biden publicly invoked the girl's situation to emphasize the negative impact of the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Instead of focusing on crime, politicians and pro-life groups have questioned the authenticity of the victim's claims of abuse, an unintended pregnancy, and an out-of-state abortion.

President Joe Biden even referenced the victim in a White House speech where he criticized the Supreme Court's "extreme decision overturning Roe."

Biden said:

"(The victim was) ten years old... six weeks pregnant. Already traumatized. (She) was forced to travel to another state. Imagine being that little girl."

Gerson Fuentes admitted to abusing the girl at least twice and that on June 30 in Indiana, the girl underwent an abortion. With no exceptions for rape or incest, Ohio's "heartbeat law" outlaws abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy.

The victim from Ohio flew to Indiana to have her pregnancy terminated three days after the six-week mark.

Authorities learned of the girl's pregnancy due to a referral filed by the mother of the child to the local children's services department in late June.

Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an OB-GYN who runs a practice in Indianapolis, told CNN earlier this month that she recently assisted a 10-year-old girl in Indiana in getting an abortion after being contacted by a child abuse physician in Ohio.

The victim's siblings and Gerson Fuentes' DNA samples were compared to those from the abortion clinic where the child had undergone the abortion.

At least 26 states across the country have restricted abortions following the Supreme Court verdict last month or are expected to do so in the next few weeks or months.