Gerson Fuentes, the man who raped a 10-year-old girl who became pregnant, has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty.
In July of 2022, Indiana abortionist Caitlin Bernard went to the Indianapolis Star with the story of an abortion she committed on a 10-year-old from Ohio. Many initially doubted the veracity of the story, but Fuentes’ arrest quickly made it clear that the crime actually happened, though Bernard was later criticized for speaking to the media before reporting the rape to authorities.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost confirmed in previous media interviews that the girl could have legally undergone an abortion in Ohio, and did not need to travel to Indiana. According to previous media reports, the girl was raped in May when she was nine; by June, the girl’s mother had made a report to Franklin County Children Services about the child’s pregnancy, and they were given a consultation for an abortion.
READ: Arrest made in 10-year-old Ohio rape victim case, but questions remain
Fuentes, the boyfriend of the girl’s mother, was arrested on July 12. During the police investigation, Ohio police traveled to Indiana (where the girl underwent the abortion) to get the remains of her preborn child for DNA testing. This confirmed that Fuentes was the father of her preborn child.
Fuentes’ trial was held this week, and according to the Columbus Dispatch, he admitted to raping the girl on several occasions. Under the terms of a plea deal, Fuentes was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Common Pleas Court Judge Julie Lynch was not required to abide by the terms of the plea deal, but Lynch said the girl’s family begged her to accept, which she 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,” she said. “However, today, by the request of the family, this court will be sentencing without comment and everyone knows how hard that’s going to be. Because the court considers this the worst of the offense.”
If Fuentes is ever released, he will be considered a Tier III sex offender for the rest of his life.
