Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco found guilty in sex abuse case, receives 2-year suspended sentence

By MARTIN ADAMESPUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop charged in a sexual abuse case, was found guilty on Thursday but received a two-year suspended sentence.Related ArticlesUS signs agreements with Guatemala and Honduras to take asylum seekersFACT FOCUS: Posts misrepresent report to falsely claim nearly 400,000 Palestinians are missingExperts and officials are still assessing what remains of Irans nuclear programPentagon leaders cite military tactics to show destruction from US attacks on IranIrans Khamenei resurfaces to warn against future US attacks in first statement since ceasefireFranco was arrested last year after being accused of having a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship.Franco, now 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking, but was found not guilty of those.Judge Jakayra Veras Garcia said Franco made a bad decision as she addressed him during the ruling.Look at us, Wander, she said.

Do not approach minors for sexual purposes.

If you dont like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time.Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girls mother, who was found guilty and will serve the full term.Apparently she was the one who thought she was handling the bat in the big leagues, Veras said of the mother and her request that Franco pay for her daughters schooling and other expenses.Francos attorney, Irina Ventura, said she would appeal the judges ruling: Evidently, justice was not done.Meanwhile, prosecutor Luis Martinez said he was pleased with the rulings but did not say whether the government would appeal.Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, Veras orally reviewed the copious amount of evidence that prosecutors presented during trial, including certain testimony from 31 witnesses.This is a somewhat complex process, Veras said.More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times.Franco, who was once the teams star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor.

Franco was 22 at the time.Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, center, reacts after hearing his sentence during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, alongside his lawyers Teodosio Jaquez, left, and Irina Ventura in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025.

(AP Photo/Fran Afonso)Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, right, reacts during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025.

(AP Photo/Fran Afonso)Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco reacts after hearing his sentence during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025.

(AP Photo/Fran Afonso)Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, left, reacts during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025.

(AP Photo/Fran Afonso)Show Caption1 of 4Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, center, reacts after hearing his sentence during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, alongside his lawyers Teodosio Jaquez, left, and Irina Ventura in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025.

(AP Photo/Fran Afonso)ExpandIn January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic.

Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.He was placed on that list because he has not been able to report to the team and would need a new U.S.

visa to do so.While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a womans attention.

He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle.That case is still pending in court.After the ruling, Major League Baseball issued a brief statement noting it had collectively bargained a joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy that reflects our commitment to these issues.We are aware of todays verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time, MLB said.Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Ron Blum in New York contributed..

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