A 27-year-old illegal immigrant has been charged with raping the 10-year-old girl that traveled to Indiana for an abortion.
The Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade triggered a six-week abortion ban in the state. The girl was said to be six weeks and three days pregnant at the time she sought an abortion.
Gershon Fuentes, 27, was arrested by Columbus Police for raping and impregnating the child on Tuesday. The department says that he confessed to raping the girl on "at least" two occasions.
According to a report from the Columbus Dispatch, "police were made aware of the girl's pregnancy through a referral by Franklin County Children Services that was made by her mother on June 22, Det. Jeffrey Huhn testified Wednesday morning at Fuentes' arraignment. On June 30, the girl underwent a medical abortion in Indianapolis."
The detective testified that DNA samples were preserved by the clinic in Indianapolis and are now being tested against a sample from Fuentes and samples from the child's siblings.
The girl just turned ten recently, so it is believed that she was impregnated when she was nine.
"Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Cynthia Ebner said the case did not warrant Fuentes — who is believed to be undocumented — to be held without bond," the report added, even though she acknowledged that he is a possible flight risk.
Fuentes is now being held on $2 million bond at the Franklin County jail. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
Prior to Fuentes' arrest, the girl's story, published by the Indy Star, went massively viral as abortion supporters pointed to it as a worst case scenario coming true. The claim about the ten year old was made by abortionist Dr. Caitlin Bernard, but she declined to provide more information when pressed by various media outlets.
However, after President Joe Biden pointed to the little girl in defense of abortion access, the validity of the story began to be challenged.
“Imagine being that little girl,” Biden said. “I’m serious, just imagine being that little girl. Ten years old!”
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost made several media appearances claiming that there had not been any reports of a pregnant 10-year-old in the state.
"We have regular contact with prosecutors and local police and sheriffs — not a whisper anywhere," Yost said during an appearance on Fox News earlier in the week.
"Every day that goes by the more likely that this is a fabrication. 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," Yost continued. "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 Fuentes' arrest, Yost issued a statement saying simply, "We rejoice anytime a child rapist is taken off the streets."
