Illegal immigrant sentenced to life in prison for raping 9-year-old girl

An illegal Guatemalan immigrant named Gerson Fuentes was sentenced to life in prison after raping and impregnating an Ohio girl who was only 9 years old.

The man, who was the partner of the victim's mother, reached a plea agreement that will allow him to apply for parole, but he must first serve 25 to 30 years in prison. The Court of Common Pleas Judge Julie Lynch reported that her sentencing decision was influenced by the victim's family, who "begged" for a lesser punishment.

"Anyone who’s ever been in this courtroom for the last 20 years knows how this court feels about these babies, young people, being violated. However, today, by the request of the family, this court will be sentencing without comment," Lynch said.

The mother defended the rapist

According to a New York Post report, the victim's representative went so far as to say that everything that was said against the rapist was a lie. In fact, she herself assured that she was not the one who filed charges against Fuentes. However, when she spoke to investigators she said that it was indeed the man who raped her daughter, which was later confirmed by DNA tests.

Immigration filed a detention order

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a detainer against Fuentes because the rapist is in the country illegally, so if he were to apply for parole, he would likely be deported to Guatemala, his country of origin.

The child had an abortion

This case became a topic of interest when the girl was taken to have an abortion at a health center in Ohio and could not due to the laws of that state. The little girl ended up being taken to Indiana to have her pregnancy terminated legally, which caused a major national debate over abortion laws.