Illegal immigrant who raped, impregnated 10-year-old Ohio girl who went to Indiana for abortion sentenced to life in prison

On Wednesday, 28-year-old Gerson Fuentes, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, pleaded guilty to the rape of a 10-year-old girl and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Fuentes was charged with felony first-degree rape of a child under 13 and admitted to raping the girl on at least two separate occasions. DNA evidence also proved that he was the man who impregnated her.

Common Pleas Court Judge Julie Lynch said the family "begged" her to agree to the plea deal, calling it a "very hard pill for this court to swallow." 

Judge Lynch could have denied the plea agreement and sentenced Fuentes to life in prison without parole. If he is granted parole in 25 years, he will have to register as a Title III sex offender for the rest of his life and may be deported.  Ohio's Reagan Tokes Act states that Fuentes could face an additional 5 years if he misbehaves in prison.

"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."

The story made headlines after the girl had to travel to Indiana for an abortion because her home state of Ohio passed a ban on abortion after six weeks with no exceptions for rape and incest. Documents submitted to the Indiana Department of Health on July 2, 2022, showed that the procedure took place three days prior. 

The mother of the child told Telemundo at the time that the child "is fine" and "everything they say about (Gerson Fuentes) is a lie," and she didn't file charges against him. It was later reported that the girl's mother and Fuentes were dating. 

The physician who performed the procedure, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, was fined $3,000 for violating her patient's privacy by speaking to the media. However, her license was not suspended by the Indian Medical Licensing Board. 

President Biden and other pro-abortion activists used the case to criticize the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the supreme court last June and the restrictions on abortion imposed by Republican governors since.