PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — Wander Franco spent most of his sexual abuse trial with his head down as the proceedings unfolded Monday. As the trial wound down ahead of an expected verdict Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop addressed the three judges of the Puerto Plata Collegiate Court.
Wearing a muted pink short-sleeve shirt, black jeans and black sneakers, Franco spoke into a microphone with his arms crossed behind his back.
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“I’m vocalizing what I have always said: Justice,” Franco said. “We expect justice.”
Prosecutors are seeking a five-year prison sentence for Franco, 24, who faces charges including sexual abuse of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor and human trafficking. The alleged victim’s mother is also facing charges of money laundering and human trafficking, with prosecutors seeking a 10-year prison sentence for her. The Athletic is not naming the mother in order to preserve her daughter’s anonymity.
According to prosecutors, testimony from the girl, who was 14 at the time of the complaint, and testimony from other members of her family, Franco paid the girl’s mother thousands of dollars in cash and other gifts in exchange for the mother allowing him to engage in the alleged abuse of her daughter.
While rulings are typically handled the same day, the court’s presiding judge, Jakayra Veras, said that due to the amount of evidence the prosecution provided, along with statements and the accused’s defense, the judges would take more time in this case.
“Justice has been requested, and we will do so after deliberation and consideration,” Veras said.
Franco, a one-time All-Star, last played in an MLB game on Aug. 12, 2023. Shortly thereafter, he was accused of sexually abusing the 14-year-old girl. He went on administrative leave, where he remained until the following July. The Rays moved him to the restricted list once charges were filed.
If the court finds Franco guilty, immigration attorneys told The Athletic that it would likely result in a permanent ban from the U.S. In that instance, experts said, he’d forfeit the remaining $174 million on his contract. Prosecutors requested that Franco, if convicted, serve his time in the San Felipe Correction and Rehabilitation Center in Puerto Plata. He would also be subject to fines, along with paying for the costs of the trial.
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Even if Franco is exonerated, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred could still suspend him under baseball’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, which can punish a player for his actions even if he avoids legal consequences.
Citing statements from the alleged victim, prospectors accused Franco of abducting the minor via helicopter. One of his attorneys, Irina Ventura, pushed back on those accusations. Additionally, she claimed that the investigation was not objective and that key evidence was excluded and hidden from the case.
“Wander is a young man who has been demonized,” Ventura stated in her rebuttal. “Wander is a kid. Even though he’s of legal age, Wander is a young man. How old do people here think Wander is?”
Franco has insisted from the outset that he was caught up in an “extortion” scheme.
But Claudio Cordero, the prosecutor for the Specialized Anti-Money Laundering office, said there is evidence of financial transactions from Franco and his mother, Nancy, to the minor’s mother.
Lawyers for the mother have denied any money laundering, arguing that having money is not illegal in and of itself and that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has not been able to prove a crime.
The trial, which has gone on for several days due to postponements, only featured two hours of defense from Franco and the mother of his alleged victim. Should the court find the minor’s mother guilty of sexual exploitation and money laundering, prosecutors asked that she go to the Rafey Women’s Center for Correction and Rehabilitation in Santiago. Like Franco, she’d also be subject to fines.
(Photo: Ricardo Hernandez / Associated Press)
This news was originally published on this post .
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