The child sex abuse charge that former Yankees pitcher John Wetteland faces involves a male relative who alleges he was molested three times starting when he was 4 years old, an arrest affidavit says, according to multiple reports.
Wetteland, the 1996 World Series MVP, was arrested Monday in Bartonville, Texas, on a charge of continuously sexually abusing a child under the age of 14. He posted $25,000 bond and was released from custody the same day.
His accuser reportedly told police Wetteland forced him to perform a sex act on him in 2004, when he was 4. He alleged there were two other incidents over a two-year period.
The alleged abuse occurred at Wetteland's former home in Bartonville, located about 35 miles northwest of Dallas.
The accuser said the assaults happened when Wetteland returned home from the work trips that kept him away most of the year. Wetteland coached for the Rangers in the minor and major leagues in the early 2000s before being hired as the Washington Nationals' bullpen coach in 2006.
Wetteland has not made any public comment since his arrest. One of his children wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that the allegations were untrue and Wetteland would be vindicated in court, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Wetteland played 12 seasons in the majors, from 1989 to 2000, for the Dodgers, Expos, Yankees and Rangers. He recorded 74 saves for the Yankees from 1995-96. He led the American League with 43 saves in 1996 and saved all four Yankees wins in the World Series that year against the Atlanta Braves.
For his career, the three-time All-Star was 48-45 with 330 saves and a 2.93 ERA. He is the Rangers' all-time saves leader with 150 and a member of the team's Hall of Fame.