A man who pleaded guilty to raping a 9-year-old girl has been sentenced to life in prison. The child became pregnant and at age 10 had to travel out of state to obtain a legal abortion.
A man in Ohio has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty to raping a 9-year-old girl who became pregnant and had to travel out of state to end the pregnancy. Her tragedy became a tinderbox in the nation's fierce debate over abortion rights after Roe v. Wade was overturned last year.
The child was 10 when she traveled to Indiana to obtain a legal abortion.
Gerson Fuentes, 28, appeared Wednesday in Columbus' Franklin County Court, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape. As part of his plea deal, Fuentes can seek parole after serving 25 to 30 years, and would have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Common Pleas Court Judge Julie Lynch said the child's family "begged" her to accept the plea agreement, which the judge called a "very hard pill for this court to swallow."
"Anyone who's ever been in this courtroom for the last 20 years knows how this court feels about these babies, young people, being violated," Lynch said. "However, today, by the request of the family, this court will be sentencing without comment."
The plea agreement spared the child from having to testify during trial.
Franklin County prosecutor G. Gary Tyack announced in July 2022 that a grand jury had indicted Fuentes on two counts of rape for assaults that occurred between January and May of last year.
Fuentes was the live-in boyfriend of the child's mother, authorities said. After initially pleading not guilty, Fuentes later admitted to raping the little girl, investigators said.
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, several states rushed to enact strict regulations against abortion. Ohio law makes abortion illegal after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which usually occurs at about six weeks.
The girl was six weeks and three days pregnant when her mother took her to Indiana for a legal abortion.
The case ignited national attention after Dr. Caitlin Bernard of Indianapolis said a 10-year-old child had to travel to Indiana to terminate a pregnancy because of Ohio's restrictions.
Some 24 states have banned or severely restricted abortions since the high court's reversal. Many of the new state laws are currently in litigation.
Indiana's medical board voted to reprimand Bernard, saying she violated patient privacy laws by speaking to a reporter about the case. The doctor gave no identifying details about the girl, other than her age.
After the physician spoke to The Indianapolis Star, some conservatives questioned whether the child even existed. Ohio Attorney General David Yost said at the time he hadn't heard “a whisper” from law enforcement in Ohio about any such case.
“Another lie. Anyone surprised?” tweeted Ohio Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan in reaction.
After Fuentes was arrested, Yost issued a statement saying his “heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child.”
Fuentes' attorney, Zachary Olah, said his client had been cooperative with authorities.
"He was anxious to get this resolved, and we’re happy we were able to get it done today for everybody involved," said Olah, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
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