Ten days after reports revealed that a 10-year-old girl had to travel from Ohio to Indiana following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade to seek an abortion, an arrest has been made.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, a 10-year-old child was six weeks and three days pregnant when Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Indianapolis terminated her pregnancy.
Following the SCOTUS’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, Ohio outlawed abortion after six weeks. Because the child was six weeks and three days, she had to seek help elsewhere.
Indiana is also set to outlaw abortion after six weeks as well. However, that law does not take effect until July 25. “It’s hard to imagine that in just a few short weeks we will have no ability to provide that care,” Dr. Bernard said at the time.
The 10-year-old was referred to Dr. Bernard by a child abuse doctor. Now, an arrest has been made in the 10-year-old’s case.
Columbus Man, 27, Arrested and Charged For Sexually Assaulting 10-Year-Old Who Traveled to Indiana to Terminate Pregnancy
According to The Columbus Dispatch, a Columbus man, identified as 27-year-old Gershon Fuentes was arrested on July 12 after police say he confessed to raping the child at least two different times.
He’s been charged with rape, a first-degree felony. Police were first made aware of the child’s pregnancy by Franklin Country Children Services who was contacted by the child’s mother on June 22.
Detective Jeffrey Huhn testified Wednesday morning that the child underwent a medical abortion on June 30. Detective Huhn also shared that DNA samples from the Indiana abortion clinic are being tested against Fuentes and the child’s siblings to confirm his role.
During the hearing, it was revealed that because the child had only recently turned 10-year-old that it was likely she was impregnated when she was just 9 years old. Fuentes, who is reportedly undocumented, is being held on a $2 million bond because he is a possible flight risk and a danger to the child involved.
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President Joe Biden has also recognized the child’s horrific story saying, “Imagine being that little girl. I’m serious. Just imagine being that little girl.”
These charges also bring validity to the story that has gone viral over the last several days, with some supporters of the abortion bans attempting to cast doubt, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who said this to Fox News.
“I know the cops and prosecutors in this state. There’s not one of them that wouldn’t be turning over every rock, looking for this guy and they would have charged him. They wouldn’t leave him loose on the streets … I’m not saying it could not have happened. What I’m saying to you is there is not a damn scintilla of evidence. And shame on the Indianapolis paper that ran this thing on a single source who has an obvious axe to grind.”
Following Tuesday’s update in the case, Yost made this updated statement, “We rejoice anytime a child rapist is taken off the streets.”