Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has been formally charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old girl.
Franco hasn’t played in the MLB since August 12, 2023, with the league conducting its own investigations. The 23-year-old is currently on administrative leave.
According to journalist Juan Arturo Recio, the player was charged by prosecutors in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday. The prosecutors opted to go in this direction four days after the initial deadline expired on July 5, six months after a judge ordered a probe into claims of sexual and psychological abuse of a minor.
Attorney general’s office spokesperson Nairobi Viloria told the Associated Press that prosecutors had furnished the judge with the final and formal accusation but would not provide further details.
The minor’s mother has also been indicted as prosecutors allege that she accepted thousands of dollars from Wander Franco in exchange for him being allowed to have a relationship with her daughter. The mother remains under house arrest while her identity is being kept under wraps to protect her daughter’s privacy.
The relationship is understood to have lasted for four months.
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Also Read: Disgraced MLB Star Wander Franco Has Gone Missing In The Dominican Republic
Wander Franco Is Still Being Paid
Wander Franco’s U.S.-based attorney, Jay Reisinger, said he would not comment as the shortstop hadn’t received formal notification of the charges.
The player continues to receive his MLB salary as administrative leave is not disciplinary under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy,
Franco agreed to an 11-year deal worth $182 million in 2021.
