Traveler accused of sexual abuseHe was found guilty on Thursday in the Dominican Republic, but received a two -year conditional term.
Franco was arrested Last year, after he was accused of four -month relations with a girl who was $ 14 at the time, and in the transfer of thousands of dollars to his mother to agree with illegal relations.
Franco, who is now 24, has also encountered allegations of sexual and commercial exploitation against minors and trafficking in human beings, but he was not guilty.
Fran Afonso / AP 
Judge Jakira Heather Garcia said Franco had made a bad decision when she addressed him during the ruling.
“Look at us, wander,” she said. “Don't contact minors for sexual purposes. If you don't like people very close to your age, you need to wait for your time.”
The prosecutor's office demanded a five-year imprisonment against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl's mother, who was found guilty and would carry out a full term.
“Apparently, she was the one who thought she was engaged in the bat in the top league,” heather said about her mother and her request that Franco would pay for her daughter's tuition and other costs.
Prosecutor Franco Irina Ventura stated that the judge's decision appealed: “Obviously, justice was not done.”
Meanwhile, Prosecutor Luis Martinez said he was satisfied with the rulings but did not say whether the government would appeal.
Before three judges issued his unanimous ruling, heather verbally analyzed a large number of evidence presented during the trial, including certain testimony of 31 witnesses.
“This is a somewhat complicated process,” heather said.
More than an hour before her presentation, heather said: “The court realized that he was manipulating this minor.”
When the judge continued his review, Franco looked forward without uncertain, leaning forward.
Franco, who once was a star of the team, signed $ 182 million, a 11-year contract until 2032 in November 2021, but in August 2023 his career stopped sharply after the authorities in the Dominican Republic announced that he was investigated for alleged relations with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time.
In January 2024, the authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa -bei placed it on the limited list, which turned off the salary he received while on administrative vacation.
It was placed on this list because he failed to inform the team and will need a new visa in the US.
While Franco waited for the court under conditional release, he was arrested again last November after the Dominican authorities called quarrels about the attention of the woman. He was charged with illegal translation of the semi -automatic Glock 19, which police said his uncle had been registered.
This case is still considered in court.
Following the decree, the major league baseball made a brief statement stating that he had made a joint violence in the family, sexual attack and cruelty of children, “reflecting our commitment to these issues.”
“We know about today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and finish our investigation at the appropriate time,” MLB said.