The trial of Wander Franco is scheduled to take place on August 14 after he was accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is scheduled to go on trial Aug. 14 after being accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl in the Dominican Republic, authorities said Wednesday.

Six months after a judge ordered an investigation into the sexual and psychological abuse of the girl, prosecutors filed multiple charges against Franco.

Nairobi Viloria, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office, confirmed to the Associated Press that prosecutors had submitted the formal charges to a judge.

The charges also involve the girl’s mother. According to prosecutors, Franco paid the girl’s mother thousands of dollars to consent to the abuse, which lasted four months. The girl’s mother remains under house arrest and is accused of money laundering.

To protect her daughter’s privacy, AP is not naming the woman.

The most serious charges against Franco are rape, for which he could face a prison sentence of between 10 and 15 years, and human trafficking, for which the Dominican Republic carries a prison sentence of between 15 and 20 years.

Franco has remained in the Dominican Republic while authorities investigate. Since January, he has been required to make monthly visits to the court. In April, he requested that the visits be suspended, but the judge refused.

Franco, 23, will stand trial in a court in the province of Puerto Plata in the north of the country, where the incidents are alleged to have occurred.

“I mean, at the end of the day, these are serious allegations that are very concerning,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said before the team’s game on Wednesday. “It’s probably best if I don’t comment much beyond that and keep our focus on this team.”

MLB has placed Franco – who is earning $2 million this year – on its restricted list and revoked the pay he received while on leave.

He received 50% of his salary during that leave, a person familiar with his situation told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because that detail has not been released publicly. That meant Franco had accumulated $559,140, ​​or half his salary, for 104 days of the 186-day season.

Franco will also not receive any service time while on the restricted list, a placement that is not considered disciplinary.

“We are aware of the charges against Mr. Franco,” MLB said in a statement. “Our investigation is ongoing and we will continue to closely monitor the case as it progresses.”

Tampa Bay’s All-Star shortstop has not played since August 12. Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract in November 2021.

Jay Reisinger, Franco’s U.S.-based attorney, said Tuesday he could not comment because Franco had not received formal notification of any charges.

___

AP baseball writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb