Officials said a verdict is expected Thursday in an ongoing trial involving suspended Tampa Bay Rays player Wander Franco, who is facing sexual abuse charges for an inappropriate relationship he had with a girl who was 14 during the alleged crimes.
The verdict is expected at 3 p.m.
On Monday, Dominican prosecutors requested that Franco be sentenced to five years in prison.
The prosecutors said in court that there is sufficient evidence to prove Franco had an inappropriate relationship with the minor for four months and that he transferred large sums of money to the minor's mother to consent to the illegal relationship.
The prosecutors also requested that the minor's mother be sentenced to 10 years in prison, arguing that she had sexually trafficked her daughter.
Documents that prosecutors presented to the judge last year alleged that Franco, through his mother Yudelka Aybar, transferred 1 million pesos ($17,000) to the mother of the minor on Jan. 5, 2023, to consent to purported abuse.
Franco is currently on Major League Baseball's restricted list after initially being placed on administrative leave.
Pinellas County wakes up to storm damage after tornado rips through the area
The tornado ripped off roofs, snapped trees and scattered debris throughout the area, but thankfully, no serious injuries have been reported.
