A Guatemalan national residing illegally in the U.S. has received a life sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of rape. The case drew national attention last year due to the victim's age and the circumstances surrounding her abortion, which occurred shortly after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Gerson Fuentes was arrested in July 2022 following a confession to repeatedly raping a 9-year-old girl, who later turned 10. The victim's testimony and DNA evidence corroborated Fuentes' admission, confirming him as the father of the aborted fetus.
The victim's need to travel to Indiana for the abortion, due to Ohio's restrictive abortion laws, fueled national debate and was cited by President Biden as an example of the consequences of limited abortion access. "Imagine being that little girl," Biden remarked, highlighting the victim's age and traumatic experience.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Fuentes' illegal immigration status and placed a detainer on him, ensuring his transfer to ICE custody for deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence.
While Fuentes received a life sentence, the plea agreement allows him to seek parole after 25-30 years, contingent upon registering as a sex offender. The judge acknowledged the difficulty of accepting the plea deal but ultimately respected the victim's family's wishes to avoid a trial. The judge expressed deep concern over the violation of young people, but refrained from further comment at the family's request.
Should Fuentes be granted parole, he is expected to be deported due to the ICE detainer.
