Man indicted in rape of girl, 10, who traveled for abortion

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A grand jury in Ohio has indicted the man accused of raping and impregnating a 10-year-old girl who traveled to Indiana for an abortion that became a flashpoint in the national debate over access to the procedure.

The 27-year-old defendant, Gerson Fuentes, was indicted on rape charges Thursday in Columbus.

Court records listed no attorney for him.

The case drew attention when an Indianapolis doctor said the child had to go to Indiana because Ohio banned abortions at the first detectable “fetal heartbeat” after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Some conservatives suggested the girl’s story was fabricated, and President Joe Biden has pointed to the case in advocating for protecting abortion access.