Wander Franco paid a teenage girl's mother 100,000 Dominican pesos ($1,785) a month for seven months to maintain a dating relationship, the girl claims in court documents obtained by The Athletic on Friday, as a Tampa Bay judge said Rays gave star shortstop his conditional release.
The documents added details of the case against Franco, 22, who is accused of commercial sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor. The documents include a quote from an interview the minor gave to a psychologist who interviewed her during the investigation.
“Ever since I was little, my mother saw me as a way to benefit from both the partners she had and my partners,” she told the psychologist, according to the documents. “And it’s something I don’t like at all.”
Although Franco will be released during the trial, a judge ordered him to appear monthly before the Dominican Ministry of State and pay a financial guarantee of 2 million Dominican pesos ($34,482). Judge Romaldy Marcelino ruled that the minor's mother, whose name was withheld for legal reasons, should be under house arrest and prevented from leaving the country during the criminal proceedings.
Prosecutors asked the court to provide a financial guarantee of 5 million Dominican pesos ($86,206) against Franco, who is accused of kidnapping and sexually abusing a minor for two days.
Ahead of Franco's scheduled 9 a.m. hearing in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, the minor's father filed a complaint against the MLB player, asking the judge to deny the house arrest request.
“The minor's father came to the conclusion through us that no impediment to the player's elimination should be imposed, but only a financial guarantee for which two million pesos were imposed,” said María Dignora Dilone Cruz, lawyer for the victim's father , while leaving the court.
Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract in 2021. After an investigation into these allegations began last summer, he was placed on leave by MLB.
When he arrived in court Friday morning, he remained silent. “Everything will be in God’s hands,” he said that afternoon as he returned to the courtroom after a break. After hearing Marcelino's decision, Franco remained silent again.
According to the document presented by the prosecutor, the minor was under the control of Franco from December 9, 2022, when she was kidnapped from her home. He allegedly had sexual relations with her for two days.
According to the document, Franco and the teen were together for four months with the consent of the girl's mother, who was accused of commercial sexual exploitation. This is the same thing Franco is accused of and the minimum sentence is 20 years in prison and the maximum sentence is 30 years.
In addition, prosecutors allege that Franco's mother sent the girl's mother two payments of 500,000 Dominican pesos (about $8,600) each.
Franco is also accused of violating the Code for the Protection and Fundamental Rights of Children and Young People, which criminalizes psychological and sexual abuse with prison sentences of up to five years.
Here's an overview of the situation and what could happen next.
What does Franco's baseball future look like?
That cannot be said at this point. Franco was not officially suspended by Major League Baseball, which is conducting its own investigation into the allegations. He was placed on administrative leave in August, but that ended after the World Series. Administrative leave is not a disciplinary measure. His leave was approved by both the league and the players' association. Franco was paid and given service time through the end of last season. MLB could choose to place him on administrative leave if his situation is not resolved before spring training.
GO DEEPER
Investigating Wander Franco: MLB's Likely Next Steps
It is unclear if and when a suspension might be announced. For reference, the league investigated former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer for about nine months before ultimately suspending him for 324 games. An arbitrator later reduced Bauer's suspension to 192 games. The referee also allowed games missed while Bauer was on leave to be retroactively counted as part of his suspension.
It is unclear what prison sentence Franco could face until he is formally charged.
According to the Dominican Republic's national child protection legislation, sexual abuse of a child or adolescent is punishable by a prison sentence of seven years. Franco was not charged with this crime.
What is Wander Franco accused of?
According to the AP, Franco was arrested in the Dominican Republic on Monday for failing to appear at a summons from the Special Prosecutor's Office for Children and Youth last week. He also wasn't home when police and prosecutors visited two of Franco's properties on Dec. 26, the AP reported.
The subpoena was intended to question Franco about his alleged inappropriate relationships with underage minors. His arrest was related to his failure to appear.
GO DEEPER
The latest on the Wander Franco investigation
Franco spoke Monday with prosecutors as well as his two lawyers, whom the AP named as Teodosio Jáquez Encarnación and Juan Francisco Rodríguez Consoró. After questioning he was arrested. Baseball reporter Héctor Gómez posted a photo of Franco at the public prosecutor's office.
According to the AP, prosecutors alleged in court Wednesday that Franco engaged in money laundering and commercial sexual exploitation. He is alleged to have made payments to the mother of a 14-year-old girl with whom he allegedly had an inappropriate relationship. According to the AP, prosecutors also asked the judge to place the girl's mother under house arrest. The age of consent in the Dominican Republic is 18 years.
How did Franco and Rays react?
Franco denied the allegations in an Instagram Live video on August 14, shortly after the first allegations were posted on social media.
His video was filmed in the Rays clubhouse. “People don’t know what to do with their time,” Franco said in Spanish. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”
Franco was placed on the restricted list the next day and was ultimately placed on administrative leave a week later.
“We support Major League Baseball’s decision to place Wander Franco on administrative leave,” the Rays said at the time. “The Tampa Bay Rays are committed to maintaining high standards of integrity both on and off the field. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our fans and supporters as this process continues.”
According to the AP, both prosecutors and Franco's defense attorney declined to speak to the media on Wednesday.
“These measures requested by the State Department are aimed at ensuring the integrity of the process,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday, according to the AP.
Required reading
(Photo: Mark Taylor/Getty Images)