No bond for accused rapist of Ohio girl who got abortion

The undocumented immigrant charged with raping a 9-year-old Ohio girl who then crossed state lines to get an abortion was ordered held without bond Thursday — after prosecutors said DNA testing proved he impregnated her.

Gerson Fuentes, 27, had already allegedly confessed to attacking the youngster, and DNA testing of the aborted fetus confirmed he was the father, Franklin County Prosecutor Dan Meyer told the court.

In denying bond, Franklin County Judge Julie Lynch deemed the Guatemala native “a substantial flight risk” after a detective confirmed that no documentation had been found to suggest he was legally in the US.

The judge also highlighted the “physical and mental and emotional trauma” suffered by the girl, who had just turned 10 when she traveled to Indiana for the abortion — in a case that became a flashpoint amid national discussion about the once-federally protected procedure.

Lynch noted that the accused rapist lived in the same Columbus apartment as the victim and her mother, and that “to allow him to return to that home, the traumatic and psychological impact would be undeserving to an alleged victim.”

Still, Fuentes’ attorney, Bryan Bowen, had pushed for bond — claiming there was no evidence of physical abuse outside of the times that left her pregnant.

“We’ve heard evidence about the nature of the offense, but 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. He declined to comment after Lynch’s ruling denying bond.

Fuentes faces the possibility of life in prison with no chance of parole if convicted of two counts of rape. He has pleaded not guilty.

The case sparked outrage after an Indianapolis physician, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, revealed how the girl had to travel to Indiana due to Ohio banning abortions at the first detectable “fetal heartbeat” after the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.

President Biden was among those expressing outrage at the case, which has also sparked a potential legal showdown between Bernard and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who has vowed to investigate.

With Post wires