Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco will not serve jail time after a Dominican court found him criminally responsible for sexually and psychologically abusing a minor, according to a ruling issued Monday.
Judge José Antonio Núñez determined that Franco was exempted from punishment, citing evidence that the player himself had been a victim of extortion and blackmail orchestrated by the girl's mother. That woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually trafficking her own daughter.
Franco was arrested in January 2024 following allegations that he engaged in a four-month relationship with a 14-year-old girl and transferred thousands of dollars to her mother to secure consent for the illegal relationship. The case began after Dominican authorities launched an investigation in August 2023, when Franco was 22 years old.
Following Monday's court appearance, Franco left the courthouse with his attorney, Teodosio Jaquez, and made brief remarks to reporters. "I feel calm," Franco said, adding a request for continued support from fans.
Jaquez said the court established that Franco was also a victim in the scheme and that he received exemption from punishment through judicial pardon. The complete sentencing document will be issued June 16, Jaquez added, promising fuller details once the ruling is formally received.
Franco declined to say he had directly contacted the Rays organization, though he acknowledged his legal team had been in touch with the club. The shortstop, who signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with Tampa Bay in November 2021, has been out of action since the investigation became public. The team placed him on its restricted list six months after his arrest in January, halting paychecks he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
Author James Rodriguez: "A court finding him guilty of abuse while simultaneously exempting him from prison is a legal oddity that will likely test the Rays' patience and the sport's tolerance for complicated international cases."
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