Hey, sports fans! We have some shocking news to report – MLB star Wander Franco has been charged with having relations with an underage girl and allegedly paying her mother thousands of dollars for her consent.
Before you jump to conclusions, let’s break down what we know so far. Wander Franco, a Major League Baseball star, found himself in hot water after these disturbing allegations surfaced. According to reports, Franco is being accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior with a minor and even going as far as paying her mother thousands of dollars for permission to have relations with her.
The Prosecutor’s Office in the Dominican Republic had until July 14 to file formal charges against Franco, and that process has now been completed, paving the way for the MLB star to face trial in his native country.
Franco was initially suspended by the Rays before being placed on administrative leave through June 1 – per an agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, according to ESPN.
Allegations of money laundering and sexual exploitation, meanwhile, were dismissed earlier this year, after Franco was released from jail. He was detained for a week after failing to respond to a summons by prosecutors.
In April, a judge in the Dominican Republic denied a request by Franco to end his monthly check-ins with the authorities – and to return his bail of around $35,000.
According to prosecutors, and testimonies from the girl and other members of her family, Franco paid the 14-year-old girl’s mother thousands of dollars in cash and other gifts, in exchange for the mother’s consent to engage in a sexual relationship with her daughter.
He was also accused by prosecutors of ‘taking the minor away from her home in Puerto Plata in December 2022 and having a four-month relationship with her with consent from the girl’s mother’, as reported by the Associated Press.
The Code for the Protection of the Right of Children and Adolescents, Law 136-03 in the Dominican Republic, considers sexual abuse as any relationship between a minor and a person five years older. Franco started engaging in a relationship with the girl when she was 14 and he was 21.
As the case unfolds and more details emerge, we can’t help but wonder what will happen to Wander Franco and his career. Will he be able to clear his name and continue to shine on the baseball diamond, or will this scandal spell the end of his promising career? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain – the baseball world will be watching closely.
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