“Rot in hell” – Fans BLAST Wander Franco as shortstop gets formally charged with sexual assault allegations against a 14-year-old 

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was possibly face jail time of five years if convicted of case of sexual abuse and exploitation of a 14-year-old.

“Rot in hell” – Fans BLAST Wander Franco as shortstop gets formally charged with sexual assault allegations against a 14-year-old 

Wander Franco [Image Credit: Imago]

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco gets formally charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation allegations against a 14-year-old in the Dominican Republic. The first time the allegations came into the spotlight was in October last year, and the authorities arrested him on January 1.

In December, Franco was arrested after failing to show up for an interrogation with the Specialized Persecutors Office for Children and Adolescents. However, he was released within a week. The authorities let on a condition that he check in with them on the 30th of every month.

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Later the initial case in January regarding allegations of money laundering and commercial sexual exploitation was changed to sexual and psychological abuse, as reported by ESPN. He is set to go on trial and could possibly also face five years behind bars if convicted.

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Wander Franco’s future with the MLB is pretty bleak at this point. He was recorded as the recipient of the highest contract in the Tampa Bay Rays franchise. Since allegations surfaced regarding the All-Star, he has not been on the field since August 2023.

Photos of Franco and the girl surfaced on social media, and he has been on administrative leave since then. The girl’s mother was also charged with being in cahoots with the MLB player, as per Martin Jose Adames Alcantra of the Associated Press.

It is reported that Franco paid the girl’s mother thousands of dollars and several gifts, including a car to consent to the four-month relationship with her daughter. She is currently on house arrest, and her name is not made public for fear that it may further disturb the victim emotionally and psychologically.

Fans blast Wander Franco for sexually assaulting a minor and throwing away his hard-earned MLB career

Fans on social media are absolutely hammering Rays shortstop Wander Franco for involvement in the sexual assault of a minor. They repeatedly noted how he wasted his MLB career, which could’ve led him to the Hall of Fame in the future.

Wander Franco [Image Credit: Imago]
Wander Franco [Image Credit: Imago]

Prior to the formal allegations, Wander was reported to have denied any such claims on Instagram, along with teammate Jose Siri. A raid was conducted in his home in December. Since the initial allegation, two more girls have reportedly come out, as per OutKick.

An X user commenting on the situation noted, “What a waste of talent smh”, while others said, “Yeah he is done in baseball.” Check out some other reactions from social media,

As of now, Major League Baseball has extended Franco’s leave until July 14. Investigations will continue to see if he’s convicted or released. However, with this much gap in career, and allegations, it is deemed to be hard to make a comeback.

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