Former MLB standout pitcher Felipe Vazquez has been convicted of several sex crimes related to the abuse of a minor, after he was accused of having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl.
A jury in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, on Thursday found Vazquez guilty of statutory sexual assault, sexual abuse of children, indecent assault of a minor, and corruption of a minor, according to multiple media reports. He was found not guilty on charges related to illicit contact with a minor.
Vazquez, a two-time All-Star with the Pirates, was arrested in September 2019 at his Pittsburgh apartment in a joint operation involving law enforcement from both Florida and Pennsylvania. The victim, aged 13 at the time of the 2017 relationship, lived in Florida, where Vazquez faces additional charges. MLB placed Vazquez on its restricted list at the time of his arrest.
Vazquez's defense lawyers argued that the girl had misled him about her age. A criminal complaint said Vazquez had told police that they had "sex but not really" in 2017. The former pitcher was also accused of sending the girl inappropriate messages and videos by text, including videos of himself committing sex acts.
The case was initiated when the girl's mother found the interactions on her cell phone. She allegedly texted Vazquez and informed him that her daughter was underage.
Vazquez, a native of Venezuela, debuted with the Washington Nationals in 2015. He was later traded to the Pirates in 2016, in a deal involving Mark Melancon.