The formalization of the verdict is part of the Dominican legal process. Neither Franco nor the girl’s mother, who was ...

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco reacts after hearing his sentence during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025.

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — Suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was convicted of sexually abusing a child and handed a two-year suspended sentence Thursday.

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — Suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was convicted of sexually abusing a child and handed a two-year suspended sentence Thursday.

A court in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, found baseball player Wander Franco — of the Tampa Bay Rays — guilty of abuse and sexual exploitation of a minor and imposed a two-year prison ...