Man jailed for life for raping nine-year-old who had to travel for abortion

A man who impregnated a nine-year-old from Ohio, who had to travel to another US state for an abortion, has been jailed for life.

Gerson Fuentes, 28, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape on Wednesday and, as part of a plea deal, will be eligible to seek probation after serving 25-30 years.

He will also have to register as a sex offender.

The case became a flashpoint in a national discussion about access to the procedure since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.

The girl, who turned 10 before having the abortion, said Fuentes attacked her, he confessed to Columbus police detectives and DNA testing of the foetus confirmed it, Franklin County prosecutors have said.

They said they could not find any evidence Fuentes was in the country legally.

Fuentes, who is from Guatemala and was living in Columbus, had been held without bond since his arrest.

If he eventually wins parole, he will likely be deported.

The case gained national attention after an Indianapolis doctor, Caitlin Bernard, said the child had to travel to Indiana due to Ohio banning abortions at the first detectable “foetal heartbeat” after the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v Wade ruling.

A year after the ruling, 25 states have banned the procedure including Indiana, though many laws are still being litigated.

Indiana’s state Medical Licensing Board voted in May to reprimand Dr Bernard, finding that she violated patient privacy laws when she told a newspaper reporter about the case, even without revealing directly protected information like her name or address.

The board, however, rejected accusations from Indiana’s Republican attorney general that Dr Bernard violated state law by not reporting the child abuse to Indiana authorities.

It rejected a request to suspend her medical license.

Board members chose to fine Bernard 3,000 dollars (£2,362.51) for the violations but issued no restrictions on her practice of medicine.