U.S.
July 5, 2023 / 7:12 PM / CBS News
An Ohio. man was sentenced to life in prison for raping a 10-year-old girl, a case that caught national attention when a journalist spoke about the procedure provided by an obstetrician-gynecologist for the girl to travel to Indiana. for an abortion.
Gerson Fuentes, a 28-year-old, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. According to court documents, he can file for parole after 25 years, as stated in his plea deal. If granted parole, Fuentes, who is from Guatemala but living in Columbus, Ohio., would have to register as a sex offender.
Julie Lynch, the judge of the Common Pleas Court, called the plea deal a “very hard pill to swallow,” according to the AP report. The victim’s family asked the judge to go back on the deal.
Prosecutors said that Fuentes, the father, confirmed the DNA testing of the aborted fetus. Shortly after the 10th birthday of the girl, who traveled to Indiana. to get an abortion, it was learned by Columbus police that she was assaulted by Fuentes when she was 9 years old. The police made a referral to Franklin County Children Services regarding the girl’s pregnancy.
The girl in Ohio. was unable to undergo the newly imposed state procedure banning abortions at the detectable first “heartbeat” of the fetus, after the Supreme Court overturned Wade v. Roe with full effect.
In Indiana., the process was organized by a pediatrician specializing in child abuse based in Ohio., who reached out to Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the physician taking care of the girl, as relayed by a journalist at the Indiana.polis Star. The doctor faced a complaint from Attorney General Todd Rokita for discussing the procedure and breaching medical confidentiality regulations.
Bernard said during a hearing that the Ohio. authorities investigated the case of a girl in Indiana., where the hospital social workers notified her about the impact of the same case. She mentioned that using a real-life example, not a hypothetical one, would have the same impact on readers. Bernard also raised the issue of alerting Indiana. residents about the realities of pregnancy termination care if strict abortion bans are passed in the state.
The medical licensing board of Indiana. fined Bernard $3,000 and provided her with a letter of reprimand; however, they did not rescind her license.
The Indiana. Supreme Court, on June 30th, ruled that the near-total abortion ban can take effect in the state. The legislation, which is among the strictest in the nation, bans abortion except in cases of incest, rape, and when the physical and life of the mother are at risk, in order to protect her health.
The reporting was contributed by The Associated Press and Melissa Quinn.
Cara Tabachnick.
Cara Tabachnick. is a news editor for CBSNews.com. Contact her at cara.tabachnick@cbsinteractive.com
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