The illegal immigrant who authorities say confessed to raping a young girl in Ohio lived in the same home as the minor, according to testimony in court on July 27.
The girl, 10, was living with Gerson Fuentes, the illegal alien, when she underwent a forensic interview on June 23 after being raped, Columbus Police Department detective Jeffrey Huhn said in Franklin County court.
Prosecutors used the detail in arguing for Fuentes, who was previously granted $2 million bond but has not posted it, to be ordered held without bail.
“This is a 10 year old child who is at the center of this who didn’t ask for any of this, who was raised by this man who is providing for her mother and family,” Dan Meyer, a prosecutor, told the court.
“I would argue there are serious safety concerns for that child” if Mr. Fuentes were to be given bail, he added.
Bryan Bowen, representing Fuentes, later claimed that there was no evidence that his client poses a danger to any particular person.
“We have not heard any evidence presented about any danger that Mr. Fuentes would pose to any particular person or to the community,” Bowen said, arguing that Fuentes should be granted bail.
Franklin County Judge Julie Lynch denied bond.
“This man lived in the home with this child. To allow him to return to that home, the traumatic and psychological impact would be undeserving to an alleged victim,” Lynch said.
Girl’s Mother Defends Fuentes
A woman identified as the girl’s mother by Telemundo told the broadcaster that Fuentes is innocent.“Everything that they’re saying against him is a lie,” the woman said.
She also said that her daughter “is fine.”
99.99 Percent Match
Fuentes is accused of impregnating the girl on or around May 12, and raping her at least once before that.The girl’s mother informed Franklin County child services about her daughter’s pregnancy, and child services alerted the police on June 22, detectives have said.
The girl’s mother took her to a healthcare facility in late June to determine the gestation age of the fetus, Huhn testified in court on Thursday. The girl traveled to Indiana about a week later to get an abortion.
Detectives retrieved the aborted fetus and compared it to DNA taken from Fuentes, who waived his rights.
The results of the testing showed a 99.99 percent match, Huhn said.
The girl also identified Fuentes as the rapist by, after being asked if it was him, “crying and nodding,” Huhn testified.
Abortion Provider Under Investigation
Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the Indiana University doctor who performed the abortion, is being investigated by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, according to her lawyer.Kathleen DeLaney, the lawyer, told news outlets this week that Rokita sent a notice to Bernard’s legal team, alerting them of the investigation.
“We are in the process of reviewing this information,” DeLaney said in a statement. “It’s unclear to us what is the nature of the investigation and what authority he has to investigate Dr. Bernard.”
DeLaney and Rokita did not respond to requests for comment.
The girl went to another state because Ohio law prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The law, however, contains an exception if the health of the mother is at risk. Some Ohio officials have said the girl’s case would have fit within the exception.
