Trial of Ohio 10-year-old’s accused rapist delayed

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The trial for a man who has been accused of impregnating a 10-year-old Ohio girl has been delayed.

Gerson Fuentes, 27, faces two charges of raping a minor under 13 after being indicted by a Franklin County Grand Jury in July. While his trial was scheduled to start on Jan. 9 in Franklin County Common Pleas court, NBC4 was told at the courthouse the trial has been continued and no court proceedings will take place on Monday.

The next scheduled date for Fuentes’ trial is unknown at this time.

On July 25, his attorney, Bryan Bowen, appeared in person for his arraignment in the Court of Common Pleas and spoke on Fuentes’ behalf to enter pleas of not guilty to both charges. Fuentes’ plea claiming he is not guilty breaks step with investigators’ account of the case. According to an affidavit, Columbus police took a DNA swab from Fuentes. In an interview with police, he allegedly confessed to the crime.

Prior to Fuentes’ arrest, a story of a 10-year-old girl traveling from Ohio to Indiana — repeated by even President Joe Biden — was challenged by politicians like Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and groups like Ohio Right to Life. When police confirmed in court that Fuentes’ victim went to Indianapolis for an abortion, and they had the fetus available for DNA testing, the debate changed to whether the 10-year-old could have legally had the procedure in her own state.