Wander Franco found guilty in sex abuse case, receives 2-year suspended sentence
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Franco 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.
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Franco, now 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking, but was found not guilty of those.
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Judge Jakayra Veras Garcia said Franco made a bad decision as she addressed him during the ruling.
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'Look at us, Wander,' she said. 'Do not approach minors for sexual purposes. If you don't like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time.'
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Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl's mother, who was found guilty and will serve the full term.
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'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 daughter's schooling and other expenses.
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Franco's attorney, Irina Ventura, said she would appeal the judge's ruling: 'Evidently, justice was not done.'
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Meanwhile, prosecutor Luis Martinez said he was pleased with the rulings but did not say whether the government would appeal.
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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.
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'This is a somewhat complex process,' Veras said.
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Franco, who was once the team's 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.
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CBC
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CTV News
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