An arrest has been made in the rape of a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who was forced to travel out of state for an abortion because the procedure was banned in her home state after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Gershon Fuentes, 27, was arrested on Tuesday after confessing to raping the child at least twice. He faces a felony charge of raping a person under 13.
Fuentes is currently being held in the Franklin County jail on a $2 million bond. The judge said Fuentes–who is believed to be undocumented–is a possible flight risk and a high bond was necessary for the safety of the child involved.
At Fuentes’ arraignment on Wednesday, Columbus police officers testified that they became aware of the child’s pregnancy on June 22 through a referral by Franklin County Children Services that was made by her mother.
The child was forced to travel from Ohio to a doctor in Indianapolis, Indiana for an abortion because her home state had a trigger law, that banned abortions after six weeks, that went into effect after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Officers confirmed on Wednesday that the girl had an abortion in Indiana on June 30th.
The case made national news in the wake of SCOTUS’ decision and some conservatives even argued that it was made up. One such person was Ohio’s own Attorney General Dave Yost (R) during an appearance on Fox News this past Monday.
“We have a decentralized law enforcement system in Ohio, but we have regular contact with prosecutors and local police and sheriffs,” Yost said. “Not a whisper anywhere.”
He doubled down in an interview on Tuesday, telling USA TODAY that it was “more likely that this is a fabrication.”
“I know the cops and prosecutors in this state,” Yost said. “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.”
Fox News hosts also claimed the story was made up as recent as Tuesday night when Fuentes was already in custody, according to the Daily Beast.
Once the story broke on Wednesday Yost released a statement saying: “My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child. I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street.”
He did not issue an apology for downplaying and dismissing the incident as the state’s top law enforcement official.
What’s up with Ohio officials covering up illegal sex acts. Gym Jordan and now this!