Court date is set for trial of man accused of raping a 10-year-old in Ohio who then left state for abortion
By Andi Babineau and Sharif Paget, CNN
The trial for 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, is facing two counts of felony rape of a minor under age 13, according to court documents. In July, he admitted during a police interview through an interpreter that he raped the girl at least twice but later pleaded not guilty to the charges.
CNN has reported that the girl was 10 years old when she sought an abortion. An indictment says she was 9 years old when the alleged rapes took place.
Though the trial was originally scheduled to begin Thursday, Fuentes’ attorney Bryan Bowen told CNN before court that the team didn’t expect “anything of significance” to happen that day.
“We are still awaiting a couple of pieces of discovery from the state,” Bowen said.
The trial is now scheduled to begin January 9, 2023, according to the court document.
The young girl’s case drew global attention in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and abolish federal abortion rights. Within a week of the consequential ruling, the girl sought an abortion but had to travel to Indiana because Ohio had banned almost all abortions after 6 weeks of gestation following the Supreme Court decision. The girl was six weeks and three days into the pregnancy, the doctor who referred her for an abortion told CNN previously.
Indiana has since passed a law banning most abortions.
Fuentes’ defense team has previously said they want to view body camera footage of Fuentes’ arrest to ensure police protocol was followed. His attorneys have also questioned the validity of his confession and the DNA results tying him to the crime.
He is being held on $2 million bond, according to the Franklin Court Municipal Court.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe, Sarah Boxer, Claudia Dominguez, Chuck Johnston and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.
