Shutterstock
Things continue to get uglier by the day for Wander Franco.
According to ESPN, prosecutors presented a nearly 600-page document to a judge in court this month that revealed some of Tampa Bay Rays’ star shortstop’s alleged text communications.
The documents showed messages that the 22-year-old allegedly sent to a 14-year-old girl that discussed how their relationship was “wrong,” but he “loved” it.
“My girl,” Franco wrote to the girl on WhatsApp, according to a translation. “If my team realizes this, it could cause problems for me. It is a rule for all teams that we cannot talk to minors, and yet I took the risk and I loved it.”
Franco is accused of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering.
The money laundering charge stems from the allegation that Franco made a hush money payment to the girl’s mother to keep the relationship a secret.
Franco could face up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted of the charges.
Shutterstock
The 22-year-old signed a franchise-record $182 million, 11-year contract in 2021, but his professional career is now clearly in jeopardy.
Jay Reisinger, the attorney for Franco, addressed the messages and how they were leaked to media outlets.
“There are serious questions regarding the authenticity of particular documents and references contained in the prosecutor’s confidential file, which was inappropriately disclosed to certain media outlets,” Reisinger told ESPN in a statement.
“We are in consultation with Mr. Franco’s legal counsel in the Dominican Republic, and we intend to take the necessary legal measures in response.”
