MLB star Wander Franco found guilty in minor sex abuse case: How much prison time is Rays shortstop seeing?
Major League Baseball shortstop Wander Franco has been guilty of sexually abusing a minor in his home country of the Dominican Republic. Dominican professional baseball player Wander Franco attends his trial for sexually abusing a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Erika Santelices(REUTERS)
A Puerto Plata court passed a unanimous sentence against convicting a 24-year-old on the charge of having an illegal relationship with a 14-year-old girl.
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Despite prosecutors pushing for a five-year prison sentence, the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop was handed a two-year suspended sentence instead.
Three judges of the Puerto Plata Collegiate Court made the ruling, so Franco will not spend time in prison unless and until he breaks certain court-ordered conditions.
'Do not approach minors for sexual purposes. If you don't like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time,' Judge Jakayra Veras García told Franco, according to the Associated Press. Charges against Wander Franco explained
Franco had faced multiple charges, including sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor as well as human trafficking. However, the judges ruled he was not guilty of those more severe allegations. Still, the court found enough evidence to convict him of sexually abusing the underage girl, with whom he reportedly had a months-long relationship when he was 21 years old.
Prosecutors alleged that Franco also paid off the victim's mother to obtain her consent for the relationship. The mother was convicted as well, on charges of sexually trafficking her daughter, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Authorities have ordered the seizure of all assets she received in connection with Franco's actions, per ESPN's Juan Arturo Recio.
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'The court has understood that this minor was manipulated,' Judge Veras said, after reviewing the prosecution's evidence.
Speaking earlier this week before the verdict was announced, Franco maintained his innocence, telling the judges, 'We expect justice.'
Franco's lawyer, Irina Ventura, called the outcome unfair and said she plans to appeal the ruling. 'Justice was not done,' she said.
The verdict comes nearly two years after the first allegations against Franco appeared on social media in August 2023. He's been on MLB's restricted list since July 2024 and has not played professional baseball since the charges surfaced.
'Major League Baseball is proud to have a collectively bargained Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy that reflects our commitment to these issues,' Major League Baseball said in a statement.
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'We are aware of today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.'
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