Man pleads not guilty to raping Ohio 10-year-old

By SAMANTHA HENDRICKSON and ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
Associated Press/Report For America

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A man pleaded not guilty in Ohio to charges of raping a 10-year-old girl who traveled to Indiana for an abortion. Her case has become a flashpoint in the national debate over access to the procedure. The 27-year-old defendant is charged with two felony counts of rape and could face life without parole. The plea was entered Sunday. Police say the man confessed to raping the girl on two separate occasions upon his July 12 arrest. The girl’s case gained national attention after Indianapolis physician said the child had to come to Indiana due to Ohio banning abortions at the first detectable “fetal heartbeat.”