Gerson Fuentes: Court date set for trial of man accused of raping 10-year-old child in Ohio who later left state to have abortion

CNN
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The trial of the man accused of raping and impregnating a child in Ohio who then had to travel to Indiana for an abortion has been set for early next year, according to a court document obtained by CNN.

Gerson Fuentes, 27, faces two counts of raping a minor under the age of 13, according to court documents. In July he admitted in a police interview through an interpreter that he had raped the girl at least twice, but later pleaded not guilty to the charges.

CNN reported that the girl was 10 years old when she requested an abortion. An indictment says she was 9 years old when the alleged rapes took place.

Although the trial was originally scheduled to begin on Thursday, Fuentes’ attorney Bryan Bowen told CNN in court that the team did not expect ‘anything significant’ to happen that day. -the.

« We’re still waiting for some findings from the state, » Bowen said.

The trial is now due to begin on January 9, 2023, according to the court document.

The girl’s case gained global attention following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and abolish federal abortion rights. Less than a week after the subsequent ruling, the girl requested an abortion but had to travel to Indiana because Ohio had banned nearly all abortions after 6 weeks’ gestation following the Supreme Court ruling. The girl was six weeks and three days pregnant, the doctor who referred her for an abortion told CNN.

Indiana has since passed a law banning most abortions.

Fuentes’ defense team previously said they wanted to review body camera footage of Fuentes’ arrest to ensure police protocol was being followed. His lawyers have also questioned the validity of his confession and the DNA results linking him to the crime.

He is being held on $2 million bond, according to Franklin Court City Court.