A complaint filed in Franklin County Municipal Court on Tuesday alleges that the victim was raped in mid-May and that she identified her assailant to Columbus police earlier this month. The suspect, Gerson Fuentes, 27, of Columbus, was arrested Tuesday and allegedly confessed to the rape when detectives brought him to police headquarters for a saliva test, according to the complaint. The cup shot for Gerson Fuentes. Franklin County Jail Fuentes was arraigned Wednesday on a felony count of rape and ordered held on $2 million bail. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison. A public defender representing Fuentes did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News. Det. Jeffrey Hoon testified during Wednesday’s arraignment that DNA evidence is currently being processed and that the suspect’s confession was made in Spanish through an interpreter. Huhn said Columbus police were made aware of the alleged rape through a referral from Franklin County Children’s Services on June 22 after the girl’s mother reported the pregnancy. The 10-year-old victim traveled to Indianapolis in neighboring Indiana to undergo a medical abortion on June 30, he said. A ban on abortions around six weeks into pregnancy went into effect in Ohio on June 24, following the US Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned Roe. The Ohio law, which was first signed into law in 2019, has no exceptions in the case of rape or incest. The case, first reported by the Columbus Dispatch, bears a striking resemblance to an Indianapolis Star report earlier this month about a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio who, at just over 6 weeks old, traveled to Indianapolis for abortion. after the so-called heartbeat law came into effect. President Joe Biden referenced the IndyStar report during remarks made during the signing of an executive order on abortion access on Friday. “Imagine being that little girl,” she said. “Imagine being that little girl. Ten years old.” “Does anyone think it is the view of the highest majority that this should not be addressed, or in any other state in the nation?” he continued. “Should a 10-year-old girl be forced to give birth to a rapist’s child? I can tell you one thing: I don’t. I can’t think of anything more extreme.” ABC News could not confirm whether the two incidents are the same. The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office said it does not comment on pending cases. The Columbus Police Department also declined to comment to ABC Columbus affiliate WSYX. Franklin County Children’s Services told ABC News they are prohibited from sharing information about specific cases. The White House declined to comment Wednesday after Fuentes’ arrest. Protesters hold placards expressing their opinion at an abortion rights rally in Dayton, Ohio, May 14, 2022. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, FILE Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost had questioned the accuracy of the IndyStar report, telling Fox News on Monday that he had heard “no whispers” of such a case. After court Wednesday, Yost said the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation “stands ready” to assist law enforcement. “My heart aches for the pain this young child has suffered,” he said in a statement. “I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street.” ABC News’ Ely Brown and Cheryl Gendron contributed to this report.
