Rays shortstop Wander Franco's child sexual abuse trial begins with emphatic plea: 'Let justice be done'

Wander Franco went on trial on Monday amid allegations he had been in a relationship with a minor and paid her mother thousands of dollars for her consent.

The 2023 MLB All-Star last played that August. Since then, he has been charged with sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.

Prosecutors say the minor's mother went from being a bank employee to allegedly leading an ostentatious life and acquiring assets using the funds she received from Franco. 

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During raids on the house of the minor's mother, prosecutors say they found $68,500 and $35,000 that they allege was delivered by Franco.

Franco appeared in court Monday and gave an emphatic plea.

"Let justice be done," he said, via ESPN.

According to ESPN, Dominican prosecutors say Franco called the minor "my girl" in a WhatsApp message, admitting that the relationship was a "risk," but he "loved it."

"My girl," Franco allegedly wrote in Spanish. "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."

Prosecutors say Franco's alleged relationship with the girl, who was 14 at the time, lasted four months, and he allegedly paid her to not speak about it. The girl's mother also faces charges for money laundering based on gifts allegedly sent to her by Franco. 

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The shortstop allegedly gave the girl the equivalent of $46,000 in July and August and allegedly paid the mother about $1,700 per month, along with a new car, according to documents that were released in January last year, via ESPN.

Franco and the girl allegedly met on Dec. 9, 2022 after he "took her from her home," had sex twice in a two-day span and began their relationship.

Franco last played a Major League game on Aug. 12, 2023, and with the charges, it is now increasingly likely he will never play again.

Franco was an All-Star for the first time that season, as he slashed .281/.344/.475 with 17 homers and 58 RBI over 112 games.

He signed an 11-year, $182 million contract extension in November 2021, but a team option was able to make the deal worth $233 million. Franco is no longer being paid, but was receiving payments while on administrative leave. The payments ended when he was then placed on the restricted list.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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