Teen girl testifies behind closed doors in Wander Franco trial in the Dominican Republic
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco appeared in court Thursday in the Dominican Republic in a sexual abuse case involving a 14-year-old girl who testified behind closed doors.
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Prosecutors also privately disclosed audio and video related to the girl as evidence during the trial that began earlier this week.
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Franco's attorneys have argued that the evidence submitted by prosecutors has been manipulated and distorted.
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Little else was known about Thursday's proceedings because the press was not allowed in the courtroom for most of them.
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Franco, 24, faces charges of sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.
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He was having an All-Star season in 2023 before officials in the Dominican Republic began investigating allegations that he had been in relationship with a minor and had paid her mother some $17,000 for consent.
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The girl's mother was charged with money laundering and is under house arrest.
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Franco, who was charged in July 2024 and is on supervised release, could face up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.
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