Aug 6, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (5) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Wander Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic and sentenced to a two-year suspended prison sentence on Thursday.
Franco, 24, and the mother of the victim were sentenced nearly two years after investigators opened the case into his illegal relationship with a then-14-year-old girl.
The investigation unveiled what prosecutors said were two payments to the mother of the victim from Franco totaling more than $100,000, including one for $68,500, to allegedly allow the relationship to continue.
The judge in the case ruled Thursday that any additional legal or moral issues would necessitate Franco serving his complete sentence. His foundational condition for probation involves contact with minors, but it was not immediately clear how the court would enforce the ruling or determine Franco’s intent.
A trial that was delayed by the failure of 33 of the 36 planned witnesses to appear in court in December ended with sentencing on Thursday.
Prosecutors pushed for a sentence of five years for the 2023 All-Star, who has been on administrative leave from the Tampa Bay Rays since the allegations surfaced on social media in August 2023.
Franco spoke only once during the trial, when he told the judge “Let justice be done” in a brief statement Monday.
The guilty verdict clears the Rays of any remaining financial obligation to Franco. It’s possible the “moral turpitude” clause will disqualify Franco from ever obtaining a United States visa to return to Major League Baseball.
A panel indicted Franco in 2023 after reviewing details of testimony from the girl, who was 14 at the time of the alleged relationship with the 21-year-old baseball player.
Prosecutors detailed a relationship that began in 2022 and spanned nearly two months.
The victim’s mother was found guilty of charges of sexual exploitation and human trafficking with a sentence of 10 years in prison and seizure of assets acquired through criminal money laundering.
–Field Level Media
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