A man in Columbus in the U.S. state of Ohio has been charged with raping a 10-year-old girl who traveled to Indiana for an abortion.
Gershon Fuentes, 27, was reportedly arrested Tuesday after police said he admitted to raping the child on at least two occasions.
Fuentes has been charged with rape and is being held on a bond of 2 million U.S. dollars. If convicted, he would face a potential life sentence in prison.
The girl"s suffering was reported by The Indianapolis Star, a morning daily newspaper in Indianapolis, Indiana, after the U.S. Supreme Court"s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last month, which ended the constitutional protection of abortion rights for women in the nation.
After the court decision, Ohio activated a law that bans most abortions around six weeks. Unable to obtain an abortion in Ohio, the girl had to travel to Indiana for the medical procedure, where it is still legal.
The story went viral across social media and caused outrage, and became a top talking point for abortion rights supporters, including U.S. President Joe Biden.
"Imagine being that little girl," Biden said from the White House when he signed an executive order on abortion access last week. "I"m serious. Just imagine being that little girl."
Some abortion opponents and news outlets had criticized the story as unproven before Fuentes appeared in court Wednesday. He is currently in county jail.
Without Roe v. Wade, states are allowed to impose their own legislation on the medical procedure. More than a dozen states, whose legislatures are controlled by Republicans, have enacted restrictive abortion laws or will have such legislation take effect in the coming weeks.
