Wander Franco is to stand trial in a sexual abuse case

SANTO DOMINGO – A judge in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, has ordered Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco to stand trial in his case of sexual abuse of a minor. Franco will now face a panel of judges who will decide whether he is guilty of the charges. In addition, the judge, Pascual Abreu Valenzuela, issued a separate order so that the mother of the 16-year-old victim will also stand trial. Like Franco, the mother, whose name is being withheld for legal reasons, is accused of sexual abuse of a minor and money laundering.

Valenzuela’s decision was handed down Thursday during the trial’s second and final preliminary hearing. The secretary of the court was able to confirm the decision, together with the judge’s acceptance of the indictment and the evidence presented at the hearing, although these are not yet ready for viewing. No trial date has been set.

Puerto Plata’s chief prosecutor, Kelmi Duncan, said the judge fully accepted the prosecutor’s charges.

As mentioned during the previous hearing, the victim’s father, William Reyes González, has withdrawn the complaint he filed against Franco, according to his lawyer, Dignora Diloné.

“We filed the revocation with the court earlier today at 9:40 in the morning and asked the court to revoke it,” said Diloné, who shared a copy of the document. The Athletics.

The indictment against Franco states that his conduct violated provisions of Dominican law, and he has since been charged with sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a minor and human trafficking. He faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years and has been on MLB’s restricted list since July. Franco has not played a game since August 12 of last season.

(Photo: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)