A Dominican judge ruled Monday that Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor but will not serve a sentence for it. The decision was handed down by Judge José Antonio Núñez.
The judge considered that Franco had been the victim of extortion and blackmail by the minor's mother, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually trafficking her daughter. Núñez described his own ruling plainly.
"It seems contradictory to declare criminal responsibility and, at the same time, exempt him from punishment. The court has granted Wander Franco a judicial pardon due to the particular circumstances that made him a material victim, but not a legal one," Núñez said. He called the pardon a "logical and legal reasoning."
After the ruling, Franco left the courthouse and briefly answered reporters' questions. "I feel calm," he said, asking his fans to "continue supporting me and trusting in me." Inside the court, he had embraced his mother and other family members, saying, "Thank God for everything."
Franco was arrested in January 2024. He had been accused of having a four-month relationship with the girl, who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship. He had also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor and human trafficking, but was previously found not guilty of those charges, according to CBS News.
Franco's attorney, Teodosio Jáquez, said outside the courthouse, "We don't have the physical sentence in our hands, but he was exempted from punishment because the president of the court established that he was also a victim and because he is exempted from punishment through judicial pardon."
Major League Baseball issued a statement saying, "We are aware of today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time."
Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Rays in November 2021. His career was derailed when Dominican authorities announced in August 2023 that they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time. Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list six months after his arrest, cutting off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
The full sentencing is scheduled for June 16. Jáquez said, "When we have the full sentence in hand, we will give you more details."
