Arrest in case of Columbus 10-year-old who sought abortion in Indiana, continuing coverage

The Columbus Downtown skyline

Dear Subscriber,

The Columbus Dispatch newsroom is filled with talented, local journalists dedicated to keeping you informed, entertained and connected to the community. We do that by providing stories that are the most meaningful for you.

The cornerstone of journalism is presenting fair and accurate reporting. That certainly has been paramount in our coverage of the 10-year-old Columbus girl who was raped and sought an abortion in Indiana. We first published the story by The Indianapolis Star, a Gannett sister paper of The Dispatch, earlier this month. The story quickly went viral, appearing in outlets across the globe, and became a top talking point for abortion rights supporters, including President Joe Biden, and abortion opponents.

Critics, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, questioned the validity of the account during an appearance on Fox News.

Meanwhile, we were investigating and seeking facts. This week, news reporters Bethany Bruner, Monroe Trombley and Tony Cook reported that Gerson Fuentes, a 27-year-old from Columbus, has been charged with rape, a felony of the first degree in Ohio. He was arrested Tuesday after police say he confessed to raping the child on at least two occasions.

After news broke Wednesday of an arrest in the case, we continued to follow up on all aspects of the story, including Yost’s statement: “We rejoice anytime a child rapist is taken off the streets.”

We will continue to investigate and report on this story, and bring you the results.

Thanks for being a loyal subscriber.

Becky Kover

Features editor

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man arrested in case of 10-year-old who sought abortion