Arrest made in controversial abortion story involving 10-year-old Ohio girl

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - According to a report from the Columbus Dispatch, an arrest has been made in the controversial story that alleged a ten-year-old Ohio girl had to travel to Indiana to receive an abortion.

Gershon Fuentes, 27 was arrested Tuesday, according to the paper, after confessing to police that he had raped the child at least twice.

The report states that the mother of the child contacted Franklin County Children Services about the girl’s pregnancy on June 22. The organization contacted Columbus Police, though no date is given for that interaction. The girl underwent the abortion on June 30.

The story caused an uproar after it was published on July 1 in the Indianapolis Star, as it related to the June 24 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which returned abortion laws to the states. Ohio’s 6-week abortion ban went into effect soon after.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced earlier this week that no record of any such incident had been found in the state.

“My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child,” Yost said in a statement Tuesday. “I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street. Justice must be served and BCI stands ready to support law enforcement across Ohio putting these criminals behind bars.”

Ohio Right to Life issued a statement saying it appreciated the Columbus Police Department for getting a criminal off the street and that anyone who rapes a child deserves the most severe punishment the law allows.

“Our prayers go out to this young girl and her family as they attempt to heal from such a traumatic and life-altering situation. We cannot imagine the pain and the horror that they are going through at this moment,” the Ohio Right to Life statement said. “As a community we must do better and offer genuine support, true care, and honest solutions for those that come to us in need. Instead, we failed by offering the band-aid solution of abortion that only added to the pain and violence perpetuated against her. The victim deserved better. Tragic situations like this further highlight the depravity of our culture and stress the importance of continuing our fight for a true culture of life that respects the dignity and value of every individual person.”

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