The story made headlines as part of the case for abortion.
QUICK FACTS:
- Ohio police arrested 27-year-old Gershon Fuentes earlier this week after he confessed to raping and impregnating a 10-year-old.
- Franklin County Children Services reported the case to police on Jun 22 and the suspect is being tested for paternity.
- The child was reportedly taken to Indiana and received an abortion in Indianapolis on June 30, though the reason for the trip has been contested.
- Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist, used the story to berate Ohio’s abortion restrictions, however, the state’s attorney general contested the doctor’s statement and she has since been disciplined for a HIPAA violation.
- The story had been cited by President Joe Biden in a speech last week while discussing abortion access: “Ten years old. Raped, six weeks pregnant. Already traumatized. Was forced to travel to another state. Imagine being that little girl,” Biden said.
SUSPECT’S LEGAL STATUS:
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to members of the media Wednesday that the suspect is an illegal immigrant.
- Fuentes is reportedly from Guatemala and has had a detainer placed on him, which means he will eventually be handed over to the agency for removal.
- The suspect reportedly confessed to police on Tuesday and was taken into custody and kept at the Franklin County jail with bail set in the amount of $2 million.
BACKGROUND:
- Crimes committed by illegal immigrants saw a marked increase in 2021 as the incidence of illegal border crossings also saw a sharp increase.
- Homicides, assaults, incidents of domestic violence, illegal weapons possession, and sexual offenses committed by illegal aliens all increased dramatically in 2021.
- An estimated 1,178 assault and domestic violence crimes were known to be committed by illegal immigrants in 2021, about a 400% increase over the 2020 fiscal year.
