Wander Franco has been formally charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor in the Dominican Republic related to an alleged relationship with a 14-year-old girl, ESPN reported Tuesday night. The Associated Press reports that the indictment that was handed down on Tuesday also included the girl's mother.
Franco, 23, has been on administrative leave since the accusations were made public on social media in August of last year, when pictures of the Rays infielder and the child appeared. Franco continues to receive his $2 million salary, despite not playing in an MLB game since the allegations emerged in 2023 in a major blow to his sporting career.
Charged at Last
His contract runs until 2032, with reports indicating he is owed $174 million. It is reported that he dated a fourteen-year-old girl and bought her mother's approval with thousands of dollars.
The Prosecutor's Office in the Dominican Republic had until July 14 to formally charge Franco, and they have completed this process. This development sets the stage for the MLB star to stand trial in his homeland.
Initially suspended by the Rays, Franco was subsequently placed on administrative leave until June 1 under an agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, as reported by ESPN.
Earlier this year, allegations of money laundering and sexual exploitation against Franco were dismissed following his release from jail. He had been detained for a week after failing to appear in response to a prosecutor's summons.
In April, a Dominican Republic judge rejected Franco's request to cease his monthly reporting to authorities and to retrieve his bail of approximately $35,000.
Franco gave the 14-year-old girl's mother thousands of dollars in cash and other items in exchange for her consenting to have a sexual relationship with her daughter, according to testimony from the girl and other family members, according to prosecutors.
According to the Associated Press, authorities also charged him with "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."
In Big Trouble
His last game for the Rays was on August 12, after which he was placed on administrative leave following the emergence of troubling allegations.
Franco was again put on administrative leave at the beginning of this MLB season.
The formal complaint was initially filed on July 10, 2023, and prosecutors had until last Friday to file charges against Franco. However, Dominican Republic law allows a judge to grant an additional 10 days for the prosecution to present their conclusions, according to the AP.
Franco had been summoned to meet with Dominican authorities in December but did not appear for a scheduled meeting with the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents.
As a result of his failure to appear, Franco was arrested on January 1 but released a week later. As a condition of his release, he was mandated to check in with authorities in the Dominican Republic every 30th of the month.
ESPN reported that accusations of money laundering and commercial sexual exploitation against Franco were dismissed in January upon his release. Instead, he faced accusations of sexual and psychological abuse.
