Wander Franco found guilty in sex abuse case and receives two-year suspended sentence

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was convicted in the Dominican Republic for abusing a minor.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found guilty Thursday in a sexual abuse case involving a minor in the Dominican Republic, according to The Associated Press. Franco received a two-year suspended sentence after being convicted of maintaining a four-month relationship with a 14-year-old girl and transferring thousands of dollars to her mother in exchange for consent.

While Franco was found guilty of the relationship, he was acquitted of more severe charges, including sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor and human trafficking. Judge Jakayra Veras García delivered the ruling in Puerto Plata, warning Franco directly: “Do not approach minors for sexual purposes. If you don’t like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time.”

Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term for Franco and 10 years for the girl’s mother, who was found guilty and will serve the full sentence. Referencing the mother’s demands for money to cover the girl’s education and other expenses, Veras remarked, “Apparently she was the one who thought she was handling the bat in the big leagues.”

Franco’s attorney, Irina Ventura, stated she plans to appeal the ruling, claiming, “Evidently, justice was not done.” Prosecutor Luis Martínez expressed satisfaction with the decision but did not say whether the government would appeal. Before delivering the verdict, the court reviewed testimony from 31 witnesses. “The court has understood that this minor was manipulated,” Veras said.

The trial comes nearly two years after Dominican authorities began investigating Franco, then 22, in August 2023. Once considered a cornerstone of the Tampa Bay Rays’ future, Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract in 2021. He was later placed on MLB’s restricted list and remains unable to return to the U.S. without a new visa.

Franco also faces a separate firearm charge stemming from a November 2024 arrest involving an alleged altercation. That case is still pending.

MLB acknowledged the court’s verdict and stated that it will complete its internal investigation before deciding on further disciplinary action.