COLUMBUS — A Columbus man accused of raping and impregnating a 10-year-old girl, whose story of traveling to Indiana for an abortion led to international attention last year, has been sentenced to life in prison.
Gerson Fuentes appeared in Franklin County Common Pleas Court Wednesday afternoon and entered a guilty plea agreement, according to our news partners at WBNS in Columbus. He was then sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
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As part of the agreement, Fuentes will also have to register as a Tier III sex offender.
Fuentes was convicted on two counts of felony rape.
As News Center 7 previously reported, court records state that a rape report was generated June 22 with the Columbus Division of Police. On July 6, the victim identified Fuentes to authorities as the person who raped her.
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Six days later, detectives served Fuentes with a warrant for a saliva sample. He was taken to police headquarters for an interview where he confessed to raping the victim, who was 9 at the time, according to court documents.
On June 30, the girl, then 10, underwent a medical abortion in Indianapolis, according to testimony from Detective Jeffrey Huhn during an arraignment hearing.